DORVAL, Que. – The 12-year-old boy suspected in the shooting death of his older brother appeared in Montreal youth court Tuesday afternoon.
He was charged with involuntary manslaughter and possession of a prohibited weapon.
The boy was questioned by investigators after police were called to a Montreal-area home late Monday afternoon.
Ambulance technicians arrived on the scene to find a 16-year-old boy with one injury: a bullet wound to the head.
A 12-year-old boy was also found in the house. He was transported to the Montreal police operational centre, where he met with major crimes investigators on Monday night.
Montreal Police Const. Daniel Lacoursiere said that an emergency call was received around 5:30 p.m. and police arrived to find the teen suffering from a gunshot wound.
Lacoursiere confirmed the teen died after being taken to Lachine Hospital, about five kilometres away.
Unidentified sources said the two boys were alone, manipulating a firearm, when it went off accidentally.
While authorities are not calling the incident a homicide, police confirmed that the Major Crimes Unit is investigating, as a death occurred. A pistol has been seized by police.
The boys’ mother was also at the home Monday night. She was there when police arrived on the scene and was later taken to hospital to be treated for shock.
There are reports she returned home after she was called by the younger boy, directly after he telephoned 9-1-1.
It was an unusual night on what would normally be a very quiet street and people in the neighbourhood were left shaken as the news broke.
“I’m very shocked to hear he passed away and what happened,” one young man told Global News. “They’re good boys and really nice guys.”
– With a file from The Canadian Press
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