An 11-year-old boy in Florida was charged with manslaughter for reportedly fatally shooting his 14-year-old friend during a Christmas sleepover.
According to The Gainesville Sun, the tween was taken into custody and is being housed at a juvenile detention center in Gainesville. Police said Jadon Vaughn was visiting the Carter Palm and Palm’s 13-year-old brother at their home on December 26 at 7 p.m. when the deadly shooting occurred.
Citing police, The Sun reported that Vaughn and Palm were play wrestling to see if the family dog would react. Police said Palm then went to his parents’ room, retrieved a pistol, and pointed it at Vaughn when it discharged, killing him.
Palm reportedly called his father and claimed Vaughn had approached him while wielding a knife. However, Palm and his older brother later admitted to planting a knife near Vaughn after the shooting, police said in Friday’s statement.
Responding deputies reportedly found Vaughn dead in the hallway. According to the Lake City Reporter, guns in the home were located in the top dresser drawer in the adults’ bedroom. Both guns reportedly had loaded magazines but neither had a round in the chamber. Moreover, a projectile was said to be found in a bedroom that apparently belonged to the two boys.
WJAX reported that the boys’ parents could face criminal charges for failing to secure their gun. Deputies told the station that no adults were home when the shooting occurred.
“This is a tragic and avoidable death,” Sheriff Mark Hunter said a statement issued to the Reporter. “Our hearts are broken for both families; one has lost a son and the other will struggle with these events for the rest of their lives. To honor Jadon, I want to stress the importance of securing your firearms so a child cannot get to them!”
(Update) Detectives Investigate Shooting Death-Arrest MadeOn Thursday evening, December 27, Columbia County Sheriff…
Posted by Columbia County Sheriff's Office on Friday, December 28, 2018
[Featured Image: Jadon Vaughn/GoFundMe]
