An 11-year-old girl has been arrested in connection with the shooting death of her 15-year-old brother at their Oklahoma home. The incident occurred Wednesday afternoon in Edmond.
Authorities were called to the residence around 4 p.m. and found the teenage boy deceased from an apparent gunshot wound. Investigators believe the younger sister was the only other person in the house at the time of the shooting.
Hours later, shortly before 1 a.m. on Thursday, the 11-year-old girl was arrested on a complaint of second-degree murder. She was transported to a juvenile detention facility. The Oklahoma County District Attorney's Office has not yet filed formal charges.
The mother was reportedly not home when the shooting took place. According to reports, the girl called her mother after the incident to say that someone else had shot her brother.
Neighbors expressed shock at the events, describing the siblings as appearing close and the family as friendly. "It is happening in our neighborhood. There are no words," resident Michelle New told KOCO. "Definitely the last house on the block we would have expected anything like this to happen."
Under Oklahoma state law, individuals under the age of 13 cannot be charged as adults with felonies, including murder. Therefore, the case will be handled through the juvenile court system. An attorney familiar with Oklahoma's juvenile laws noted that the child could remain in custody until age 19 due to the seriousness of the alleged crime. Prosecutors are expected to investigate how the firearm was accessed and whether any adult negligence was involved.
