Jennifer Edwards Baker

jbaker@enquirer.com

GREEN TOWNSHIP - A 13-year-old boy accused of accidentally shooting his 13-year-old friend to death with a stolen gun Monday is going to remain behind bars at the Hamilton County juvenile jail.

Green Township police say the teen stole the gun from a friend's grandfather sometime Sunday night or Monday morning, and then brought the .357-caliber Magnum revolver over to his friend's house on Marie Avenue, where he and the boy he shot played with it.

The boys spun the cylinder around in the gun, according to Lt. Jim Vetter, which hit the trigger, and the gun went off, fatally shooting the suspected shooter's 13-year-old friend.

"These are 13-year-olds and I don't think they understood the dangers of the situation," Vetter said. "It's just a horrible tragedy for all parties involved. Nobody's intention was for anyone to get hurt.

"I can't imagine what the (teen suspect) is going through. I hope we all learn something from this as we move forward."

One message police want to stress is for gun owners to lock up their weapons, particularly if youth are in the house. Vetter said the stolen gun was not locked up; it was hidden under a mattress.

"I would advise anyone to re-evaluate where they keep their weapon," Vetter said. "If you have kids in the house, you better lock (your guns) up."

The teen, who appeared in court Tuesday morning, was represented by a public defender, who denied all charges on the teen's behalf. While describing the situation as "grave and serious," she also said her client is only 13 and in early physical and mental development.

The teen's defender said it would be in the boy's best interest for him to be released to his grandparents -- who have custody of him and who were in court Tuesday along with his parents -- particularly since the case is likely to be a lengthy one.

Magistrate David Montgomery, however, ordered the boy remain locked up due to the seriousness of the charges, which include reckless homicide, theft and carrying a concealed weapon.

The teen's family said they loved him as he was led from the courtroom after Tuesday's brief hearing. They declined to talk with reporters.

A woman called 911 from a home in the 5500 block of Marie Avenue about 2:15 p.m Monday and said the victim was shot in the head, according to a recording of the call.

She told the dispatcher she had medical training and gave the boy CPR.

"Keep breathing. I mean it, you are not going anywhere," she pleaded with the dying boy. "Keep breathing. I know you can hear me, stay with me."

Green Township paramedics took the teen to Mercy Hospital - West, where he was pronounced dead.

Neighbors said Tuesday morning that the victim's family rents the Green Township house where the shooting occurred and they moved in about a year ago.

"It's terrible, just terrible," one neighbor said. "These kinds of things are not black and white. I hope they get help. The boy is going to be scarred for life."

A pretrial will be held July 9 before Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge John Williams.