A 13-year-old is dead after an accidental shooting Sunday morning in Dallas, and the person who discharged the weapon was a 15-year-old boy.
Dallas police responded to a shooting call around 10:45 a.m. in the 2200 block of Harlandale Avenue, where they found the victim inside a home. He was transported by Dallas Fire-Rescue to a local hospital, where he later died.
The older teen was charged with criminally negligent homicide and was transported to Henry Wade Juvenile Justice Center.
The shooting happened in Council District 4, which is represented by Council Member Carolyn King Arnold.
Police said the investigation is ongoing and have not released any further information on the case. They have not publicly stated whether the boys were related or how the older teen accessed the gun.
In Texas, storing, transporting, or abandoning an unsecured firearm in a place where children are likely to be and can obtain access to the firearm is unlawful. The owner of the weapon may be criminally liable and could face up to a year in prison and up to $4,000 in fines.
Not including the most recent incident, the City of Dallas has logged 12 cases of negligent manslaughter this year, with four occurring just last month. Sunday’s accidental shooting appears to be the first negligent homicide of a minor this year, according to the City of Dallas Open Data crime analytics dashboard.
However, it is worth noting that a total of 19 minors have been the victims of murder and non-negligent homicide so far this year, surpassing the number of children (17) murdered last year.
A shortage of police officers has hampered crime prevention in Dallas. Currently, the Dallas Police Department has fewer than 3,200 officers, although a City analysis says the police department should have about 4,000 to maintain public safety.
The police shortage has particularly impacted Downtown Dallas, where crime is drastically higher than in neighboring Fort Worth’s city center. A dedicated police unit and private security guards reportedly patrol Cowtown’s downtown area.
