RAVENNA, Ohio—A 13-year-old Ohio boy who stole a handgun from his grandfather’s gun cabinet and fatally shot his 11-year-old brother has been sentenced to seven years in a youth prison.
Teen who shot, killed 11-year-old brother sentenced to juvenile detention until age 21 https://t.co/PhGGqnNR6F
— fox8news (@fox8news) January 25, 2019
The Record-Courier reports a judge in northeast Ohio’s Portage County on Friday decided not to classify the 13-year-old as a serious youthful offender, which means he can’t be sent to adult prison for rule violations. The Associated Press is not identifying him because of his age.
The shooting occurred last April in Streetsboro. The boy was subsequently diagnosed with multiple psychological disorders. A psychologist said those disorders were rooted in the abuse he suffered as a toddler before he and his brother were adopted.
The boy said in court he didn’t realize he loved his brother until he was dead.
12-Year-Old Boy Charged in Shooting Death of Texas Boxer John VanMeter
A 12-year-old boy was arrested and charged with the murder of John VanMeter, a boxer who was shot to death in a house in Uvalde, Texas, on Jan. 23.
VanMeter’s girlfriend, Sammy Chapa, called 911 at about 7:55 p.m. that day and said someone had broken into her house and shot her boyfriend.
When paramedics and police officers arrived, the boxer was lying on the floor with a gunshot wound to his head. Within an hour, he was pronounced dead.
Officials arrested the 12-year-old, who hasn’t been publicly identified, on Thursday, the Uvalde Police Department said in a statement. He’s being held at the Jourdanton Juvenile Detention Center.
Chapa said that she and VanMeter, who lived together, took the boy into their home about two months ago for about a week.
Uvalde boxer shot, killed in own home; 12-year old charged with capital murder https://t.co/Vbx4Zv8spk pic.twitter.com/sC6oKJHm4j
— KABB FOX 29 (@KABBFOX29) January 25, 2019
The suspect was a good friend of Chapa’s son and they felt bad that he was always in the streets and in and out of the Child Protective Services System.
But their attempt to help the boy was spurned and they eventually kicked him out.
“He kept getting my son in trouble so I told him he wasn’t allowed in our home anymore,” Chapa told the San Antonio Express-News via text message. “I don’t know why he did this now.”
She said the boy may have discerned that the house was an easy target because she and VanMeter were often not at home.
“He was a troubled boy. … Everyone warned us but we just followed our hearts,” she said.
Father of 12-year old charged with capital murder searches for answers https://t.co/8cnJU1IFx5 pic.twitter.com/YaKtHk5wRF
— KABB FOX 29 (@KABBFOX29) January 25, 2019
NTD reporter Zack Stieber contributed to this report