13-year-old Auburn boy killed while handling gun with friend and brother, police say
A 13-year-old Auburn boy died of a gunshot injury following a Tuesday night incident that police are investigating as a possible accidental shooting. Authorities say the fatal incident involved a trio of minors handling a firearm that had not been properly locked up, which resulted in the arrest of one adult.
The Auburn Police Department says the teen was handling the gun along with his younger brother and one other friend who is also a juvenile prior to being shot, according to a news release. Police did not indicate which of the three minors — none of whom are named — may have pulled the trigger in the incident, which remains in the preliminary stages of investigation.
Officers responded around 8 p.m. Tuesday to Redhawk Lane for reports of a juvenile victim suffering from a gunshot wound, according to the news release. The boy died despite lifesaving efforts from police and medical personnel, the Auburn Police Department said.
Police arrested a 23-year-old man, Malik Hughes, for failing to lock up the gun, authorities said. Hughes’ exact relation to the juveniles was unclear, but the news release says Hughes “had been staying periodically at the (victim’s) residence.”
Police arrested Hughes on suspicion of criminal storage of a firearm, a felony in California, and he was booked into the Placer County Jail.
Identification of the victim will be handled by the Placer County Coroner’s Office pending notification of family.
No other details about the shooting were immediately available, including what type of firearm was involved.
The Auburn Police Department in a statement said Tuesday’s incident is “the worst reminder of how dangerous a firearm can be,” and that “it should go without saying that all firearms need to be locked up when there is a possibility that a child could access the firearm.”
