Teen Accidentally Shoots 5-Year-Old Dead While Filming Social Media Video

KEY POINTS

A boy, 13, fatally shot his 5-year-old relative by accident during a family gathering in Minnesota on Thanksgiving Day
The teen and several other children were using a rifle while making a social media video
The 13-year-old was arrested and could face manslaughter charges

A 5-year-old boy was fatally shot by accident in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, on Thanksgiving Day by a teen recording a video to post on social media during a family gathering, local police said.

Law enforcement responded to a residence in Brooklyn Park Thursday night following a report of a minor being shot, Brooklyn Park police said Friday in a statement. Officers attempted to render first aid, but the child died at the scene.

The initial investigation determined that a 13-year-old boy, whose name has not been disclosed, in the home was handling a gun. The teen and several other children had been attempting to make a social media video at the time of the shooting.

"[A]t some point about four to five youths had located a rifle at the home, started using the rifle out in the garage to do some type of social media type video," Brooklyn Park Police Deputy Chief Mark Bruley was quoted as saying by WCCO Channel 4.

Police said that the 13-year-old boy shot the gun at some point, striking his 5-year-old victim.

"This is a very unfortunate accident that requires a very detailed investigation," Bruley said.

Adults were present in the residence at the time of the incident, but it was not clear how the weapon ended up in the hands of the children, NBC News reported.

The teen shooter was arrested and is being held at Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center. The 13-year-old could face manslaughter charges, according to police.

The weapon's owner, who was not identified, could also face charges pending the outcome of the investigation.

Bruley has urged gun owners to keep their firearms locked in a secure location, with ammunition stored separately, as adults have an "obligation to make sure [kids] don’t have access to them."

An investigation into the fatal shooting is ongoing, police said.

A similar incident happened in Canton, Ohio, in October when a 2-year-old child accidentally discharged a firearm inside a residence, resulting in a 22-month-old boy being fatally shot in the face.