Washington boy, 9, could face charges in shooting of 8-year-old classmate
A woman who is a relative of a shooting victim cries as she joins New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Martin Luther King, Jr. III, and friends and family members of victims from New York, the Tucson, Arizona, Columbine and Virginia Tech shooting tragedies to urge Congress to fix the background check system for gun sales January 24, 2011 at City Hall in New York.
A Washington prosecutor is preparing to file charges against a 9-year-old boy who brought a gun to school and accidentally shot an 8-year-old girl when the weapon went off in his backpack, reported the Associated Press.
The girl was rushed to Seattle's Harborview Medical Center by air ambulance after being shot in the stomach and went into surgery on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Daily Telegraph.
The boy was due in court this afternoon, 24 hours after emergency crews responded to the school shooting, reported the AP. A judge will determine whether bail will be set and a motion for a capacity hearing will be filed.
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The AP also reported that Todd Dowell, a prosecutor from the Kitsap County juvenile division, said his office is still going through police reports. He also said there will be charges, but hasn't determined what they will be yet.
The victim is Amina Kocer-Bowman, according to the Daily Telegraph, and although the Armin Jahr Elementary student is still said to be in critical condition, her friends and family gave KING-TV reporters a thumbs up as they left the hospital late Wednesday, reported the AP.
The boy who, according to the Daily Telegraph, has not been named by authorities, was booked into Kitsap County juvenile detention and taken into custody Wednesday for investigation of unlawful possession of a gun, bringing a dangerous weapon to school and third-degree assault, reported the AP.
The gun was recovered from a classroom, according to the AP. Police have not described it.
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