A 14-year-old girl in Shreveport, Louisiana, who was preparing to start high school, died after being fatally shot by a 13-year-old family friend, authorities said. The victim, Makayla Pennywell, sustained a gunshot wound to the head inside a home on Legardy Street on Sunday afternoon and was pronounced dead later that day, according to the Shreveport Police Department.
A 13-year-old boy was arrested shortly after the incident and charged with second-degree murder. He is currently being held at a juvenile detention center as the investigation continues.
Police initially identified the suspect as Pennywell's brother but later corrected the information, stating he is the son of one of her mother's friends. Detectives have interviewed individuals who were present in the home at the time of the shooting, but no motive has been released.
The Caddo Parish District Attorney's Office will decide whether the juvenile will be prosecuted as an adult. Family members told local media that they had been planning a back-to-school shopping trip for Pennywell, who was set to begin ninth grade.
Relatives remembered Pennywell as a kind and calm teenager who enjoyed basketball, cooking, and spending time with her siblings. "We love her. We miss her," her grandmother told KTBS. Another relative described her as "a very good kid."
The Caddo Parish School District is preparing grief counselors to support students and staff before the upcoming school year. Police noted that Pennywell's death was one of two fatal domestic violence-related shootings involving young people in Shreveport over the weekend.
Corporal Chris Bordelon of the Shreveport Police Department highlighted a broader issue of firearms being used to resolve conflicts, stating that in Shreveport, individuals are more likely to be seriously injured or killed by someone known to them than through random violence. "We have a real problem with domestic violence. We have a problem with young people not being able to resolve conflict without violence," Bordelon said.
Shreveport City Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor offered condolences and expressed a commitment to building a safer community.
Detectives are continuing to gather evidence. The Daily Mail has reached out to the Shreveport Police Department and the Caddo Parish District Attorney's Office for further comment.