A 14-year-old boy will be charged with third-degree murder after an accidental shooting inside an Upper Darby home left a teenage girl dead.
The boy will be charged as an adult, police told Action News on Friday. Investigators say they determined he had the gun in his hand based on witness interviews.
No one else is facing charges. The name of the teen being charged has not been released.
The shooting happened as a group of friends gathered inside a home on Thursday afternoon along the 100 block of Springton Road.
Upper Darby Police Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt said investigators believe a group of friends, which included two boys and two girls, were hanging out at the home.
He says they got hold of a gun in the house, and it went off while they were playing with it in the upstairs bedroom.
“What we do know is that it wasn’t like this was an act of violence, it wasn’t like this was a fight, it wasn’t a dispute,” said Bernhardt.
Officials say a single bullet was fired, striking the victim in the head.
“Someone lost their life, and three other juveniles are going to have to live with what occurred in that house for the rest of their lives. Guns are not toys,” said Bernhardt.
It was a somber start to the day Friday, as students, parents and staff returned to Beverly Hills Middle School, where officials say the victim was a student.
“It’s a sad thing for the parents, so I really feel sorry for everybody,” said Samantha Myers from Upper Darby.
The school district also made grief counselors available.
Members of the community and police are making a plea for gun safety at home.
“We have gun locks here, and we have gun safes here,” said Bernhardt. “If anyone in this town or a resident needs one or wants one, please come here, and we can give that to you.”
“You must put them away and take the bullets out and hide it. That is no joke up there when a child, 14, gets killed. A sad day,” said Cliff Myers from Upper Darby.