BETHLEHEM, Pa. – A 16-year-old boy is now charged as an adult with homicide after authorities say he shot and killed a man with a rifle.
Hezekiah Goodman, 16, told officers he accidentally shot Jose Yapur De Los-Santos, 21, while playing video games.
Witnesses say a group of people were hanging out at a home on the 1100 block of Maple Street in Bethlehem last Friday.
Goodman told investigators a rifle was lying on a bed.
“The gun, I picked it up, and I accidentally shot it,” he told police, adding he later realized he shot De Los-Santos in the eye.
Goodman said he ran away from the house because he was scared, but later went back.
De Los-Santos died two days later.
Court documents say that the 911 call reported a fight, but witnesses told police that no one was arguing.
A witness claimed the gun belongs to a mutual friend.
Police said the gun did not belong to anyone at the gathering and that it was already in the room before the gathering.
Neighbors are putting out a plea for children and teens to have stricter supervision in the neighborhood.
Jim Lillegard lives a few doors down and said he would often see younger people at the house.
“It’s a shame that something like this happened. You don’t leave a firearm like that lying around if you’ve got other people in the house or children around,” said Lillegard.
The shooting happened an hour before Halloween trick-or-treaters flooded the city’s streets.
“It’s very disturbing,” said Mary Robinson, who lives nearby.
Robinson did not want to appear on camera, but she said she often walks and drives past the house.
“You know, a young child that pulled the trigger, that’s scary. Really is,” Robinson said. “I don’t know if there were adults in the house, but they needed to be supervised.”
Goodman is in the Northampton County Prison. His bail was denied.
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