A 9-year-old boy in Michigan is suspected of fatally shooting his own mother.

WWMT obtained court records showing that Pauline Randol was fatally shot with a rifle at her home in Fawn River Township on Monday. Her 9-year-old son, reportedly a second grader at Congress Elementary School in Sturgis, is facing multiple counts in relation to his mother’s apparent murder.

The child, who has not been identified, has reportedly been charged with one count of felony firearm possession and one count of open murder.

The circumstances of the fatal shooting are unknown, as is where and how the boy obtained the rifle.

Local station 24 Hours News 8 spoke to the boy’s sister, Harley Martin, who said that her mother had adopted him in the last two years.

“I want people to know that he’s not a bad kid,” she said.”He loved his mom. I don’t want people to think he did not love his mom.”

“He doesn’t know what he did. He doesn’t understand what’s going on right now at all … He doesn’t understand why he can’t come home or anything.”

Sturgis Public Schools Superintendent Arthur Ebert issued a statement obtained by the news outlet:

“Our community has experienced a tragic event. As a district, it is our goal to provide support to our students, staff, and the community. We are limited in what we can share due to privacy laws and the sensitive nature of this tragedy. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department is leading the investigation regarding this event that occurred outside of school, including the release of information about the investigation.”

St. Joseph County Sheriff Bradley Balk told WWMT that the boy was undergoing a psychiatric evaluation at a state-run juvenile facility.

This is a developing story. CrimeOnline will provide an update when more information is available.

[Feature image: Pauline Randol/Facebook]