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12-year-old boy charged with murder in fatal shooting 11-year-old. Mourning mother says, 'These are kids. They should have been playing in a sandbox somewhere.'
Image Source: YouTube screenshot

12-year-old boy charged with murder in fatal shooting of 11-year-old. Mourning mother says, 'These are kids. They should have been playing in a sandbox somewhere'

Police in Clayton County, Georgia, have charged an unidentified 12-year-old boy with murder and various other crimes after he allegedly shot and killed an 11-year-old boy this week.

What are the details?

In a pair of posts on their Facebook page, the Clayton County Police Department said they responded to a shooting incident involving at least two juveniles early Thursday evening near the 6000 block of Westbury Road in Riverdale.

Upon arriving on the scene, they reportedly discovered that an 11-year-old boy, later identified as Elyjah Munson, had been shot. The child died on site.

On Friday, police arrested the 12-year-old for his role in the incident and charged him as a juvenile with a host of crimes — including murder, aggravated assault, tampering with evidence, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, possession of a firearm under 18, and first-degree cruelty to children.

The two boys lived in a nearby apartment complex and had been walking in a group when the shooting occurred, WAGA-TV reported.

Further details regarding the incident are currently sparse as police continue to conduct an investigation.

Police spokeswoman, Officer Halekia Helm, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “In an effort to maintain the integrity of this investigation, we are not releasing premature information in reference to this case."

What else?

Reporters from WAGA, however, were able to provide some more information after speaking with the victim's family and neighbors who reportedly witnessed the incident.

The victim's mother, Kendall Munson, told the outlet that the incident happened as a result of an argument between the two boys.

She noted that she had moved with her children out of Chicago at her parents' request. She was trying to flee violence in the Windy City but it ultimately followed her family to Georgia.

Munson added that her other son, who is just 12 years old, witnessed the shooting.

"He witnessed it and he just kept saying, ‘They left my brother lying there.’ This is crazy," Munson said.

In response to the announcement of charges on Friday, Munson, overcome with grief, expressed mixed feelings.

"I honestly don't know how to feel. That baby is 12. My baby is 11. These are kids," she said. "They should have been playing in a sandbox somewhere."

12-year-old charged with murder after 11-year-old shot in headwww.youtube.com

Anything else?

Neighbor Jerry Shepherd told WAGA that he and his wife also witnessed the fatal shooting. He reported that "one of them was saying, ‘You play too much man,’ and he pulled out a gun and shot him in the head."

Police are reportedly now working to find out more information about the charged 12-year-old and his family. Of particular interest is how exactly the child obtained a gun, who the owner of the gun is, and whether or not that person will be charged.

This is a developing story and may be updated.

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Phil Shiver

Phil Shiver

Phil Shiver is a former staff writer for The Blaze. He has a BA in History and an MA in Theology. He currently resides in Greenville, South Carolina. You can reach him on Twitter @kpshiver3.