A 10-year-old boy has allegedly shot his mother because she wouldn’t buy him a virtual reality headset.
The boy initially claimed the shooting was an accident, but later said he targeted his mother on purpose.
He reportedly logged into her Amazon account the morning after her death and ordered the headphones, according to his aunt and sister, who claim he didn’t cry or show any remorse.
The boy has been charged with first-degree reckless homicide and is currently in juvenile detention.
The incident happened just before 7 a.m. on November 21 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
State law requires children as young as 10 to be considered adults for certain serious crimes, but attorneys can request that the case be transferred to juvenile court.
Angela Cunningham, one of the boys’ lawyers, said: “This is an absolute family tragedy.
“I don’t think anyone is going to deny or disagree with that … the adult system is absolutely not capable of meeting the needs of a 10-year-old.”
The boy reportedly told police he got the gun from his mother’s bedroom and went to the basement where she was doing laundry, according to criminal charges seen by the local newspaper, the Journal Sentinel.
Milwaukee police initially said the boy was “playing” with the gun when he opened fire, fatally wounding his mother.
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The incident will be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office for review, police said.
They also reminded the public to “secure firearms with gun locks and keep them out of the reach of children”.
However, a day after the incident, relatives called the police.
A History of “Disturbing Behavior”
The boy is said to have a history of “disturbing behaviour”, including grabbing a puppy by its tail and swinging it back and forth when he was four years old.
His family told police he filled a balloon with flammable liquid and ignited it, triggering an explosion that burned furniture and carpet.
When questioned by his family, the boy said he heard imaginary people speaking to him.
On the day of the shooting, he also physically assaulted his 7-year-old cousin.
During a second interview with police, he said he tried to shoot a wall to “scare her” when she walked in front of him and was injured, according to the charge sheet.
He also told them that he took the gun because his mother woke him up 30 minutes earlier than usual, at 6 am that morning.