House where 13-year-old James Davis was allegedly shot by his friend (WXIN).
A 13-year-old boy from Indiana was charged with the murder of another boy after initially reporting his death as a suicide.
After midnight on Nov. 10, police from the Greenwood Police Department responded to a call about an apparent suicide attempt. When they arrived at the address, officers found 13-year-old James Davis in critical condition from a gunshot wound. Davis was transported by ambulance to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, where he was pronounced dead.
A police investigation concluded that there were a total of six boys at the scene at the time of the shooting, including Davis and his alleged assailant. The parents of one of the boys were home at the time but asleep in another part of the house. It wasn’t made clear in reports whose parents they were or if they were the owners of the gun that fired the shot that killed Davis. WXIN, a local Fox affiliate, reported that they were not currently facing criminal charges.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the boys were “playing” with the gun then fled the scene after the shooting. The suspect then called 911, saying that his friend attempted suicide. WXIN reported that the suspect apparently “pointed a firearm at the victim and shot him.”
The suspect, an unnamed 13-year-old, was charged with murder and criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, both of which are felonies if the suspect is charged as an adult. He is currently being held at Johnson County Juvenile Detention Facility. Whether he will be charged as an adult has not been decided. The suspect is scheduled for a preliminary juvenile hearing on Nov. 26.
After the news of the shooting broke, Dr. Terry Terhune, the superintendent of Greenwood Schools, told WXIN that some of the boys involved in the shooting were students at the local middle school. He said that counseling and support services would be made available for students in the school district.
The Monday after the shooting, the schools opened after a two-hour delay and athletic activities were canceled for the day. Terhune issued a statement addressed to Greenwood families that said, “We encourage you to talk to your children about their feelings and any fears they may have. Reassuring them that they are safe and that we are here to support them is crucial. If your child needs someone to talk to, please do not hesitate to reach out to our school counselors.”
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