A 17-year-old Texas teen was shot and killed by his brother in an accidental shooting in Spring, Texas, on the night of Sept. 25, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office news release.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting call that occurred at 810 Rayford Road, and upon arriving there found a 17-year-old had been shot by his step-brother in an accidental shooting, the news release read.
According to KHOU 11, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office deputies spent over three hours at the scene trying to figure out what had happened, and concluded that the discharging of the firearm was not intentional.
According to the news release, the brothers were visiting a friend in Springs, Texas. Romaz Craddock, the 17-year-old victim, was in the restroom while his step-brother, Justice Forney, had somehow acquired a firearm. Forney was handling the weapon when it was accidentally fired. The bullet from the gun travelled through the restroom door and hit Craddock in the torso, deputies said.
The news release stated Craddock was in critical condition, and was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital in The Woodlands. However, on the morning of Sept. 26, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Twitter posted a statement on Twitter that Craddock succumbed to his injuries and passed away.
According to the most recent update, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office stated that Forney had cooperated with the authorities when answering questions regarding the incident. The release stated that this had been an accidental shooting, according to witness testimony.
However, after the shooting, Forney had discarded the firearm in a dumpster. In addition, according to the release, the firearm did not belong to the owner of the home and was brought by Forney to the house they were visiting. It was determined by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office that the firearm Forney handled had been reported missing by someone.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is currently working with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office to figure out who the firearm belonged to, the news release read.
Forney was charged with tampering with physical evidence, the news release read. Investigation of the case is still ongoing, so there may be additional charges. The Crime Scene Unit and the Montgomery County District Attorney’s office are also investigating the incident.
When the investigation of the incident is complete, the case will be presented to a Montgomery County grand jury.
