SACRAMENTO, California – A tragic incident unfolded in Sacramento County, California, when a 10-year-old boy fatally shot another 10-year-old boy with a stolen gun he retrieved from his father’s car, authorities reported. The boy had been sent by his father to fetch cigarettes from the vehicle when he took the gun and proceeded to shoot the victim before fleeing to a nearby apartment.
First responders found the victim suffering from gunshot wounds to the head and neck, and despite administering CPR and other life-saving efforts, the child was pronounced dead at the hospital. The suspected shooter’s father, 53-year-old Arkete Davis, allegedly attempted to dispose of the gun by placing it in a trash can. The firearm was reportedly stolen, and Davis now faces charges of possession of a firearm by a felon, criminal storage of a firearm, carrying a stolen loaded firearm in a vehicle, child endangerment, and acting as an accessory to a crime after the fact.
The suspected shooter, whose name has not been released due to his status as a juvenile, has been booked on suspicion of murder. Both the father and son are now in custody, with the boy detained at the Sacramento County Youth Detention Facility and Davis being held in lieu of $500,000 bail.
Legal counsel for the suspects and court appearances have yet to be confirmed, and the Sacramento County Public Defender’s Office has not provided any comment at this time. Juveniles in Sacramento County must be charged within 48 business hours of arrest or detention, but bail is not used, and minors can be released to their parents or legal guardians. The investigation is ongoing, and Davis is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.