An 11-year-old boy has been charged with the deadly shooting of a 3-year-old on Detroit's east side. The victim was identified as Elijah Walker.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy charged the 11-year-old on Wednesday with manslaughter and felony use of a firearm. He is being charged as a juvenile.
"I cannot remember a time where we have charged someone so young with taking a life," Worthy wrote in a press release. "Very unfortunately and very tragically, the alleged facts in this case demanded it.”
The shooting occurred on Aug. 3, inside a vehicle parked behind a residence on the 16000 block of Eastwood Street.
According to police, the 11-year-old was visiting his father when he took a handgun from the bedroom closet and threw it out a window and into a backyard. After going outside and retrieving the gun, the boy entered the vehicle Walker was sitting in and allegedly shot him in the face for unknown reasons.
A 3-year-old child was shot in this car outside a residence in Detroit.
"We were coming out of the house and I heard some screaming, and I ran over there," neighbor Barbara Willis told Myfoxdetroit.com. "I was just trying to keep the kids calm and hug them and stop them from crying."
Worthy said the shooting was intentional, but without malice.
"The charged respondent here will remain in the juvenile system, but the case remains under investigation," the prosecutor said. "As a result of that, I will not say more at this time."
Family members are seeking donations on the fundraising site GoFundMe to help cover funeral costs for Walker, who was the youngest of his mother's three children.
"Our sweet baby boy, Elijah Walker, was taken away from us way too soon at only 3 years old," reads a message on the website. "Elijah was always on the go with his incredible amount of energy and never failed to give anyone his million dollar smile ... His bright smile, contagious laughter, and sweet personality will forever be missed."
The 11-year-old, who has not yet appeared in court to enter a plea, is being held at a Detroit-area juvenile detention center.
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