A 13-year-old fatally shot a 5-year-old boy at a Brooklyn Park residence while several children were trying to make a video to post on social media, police say.
The 13-year-old boy was arrested Friday morning and being held at the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center. He was related to the younger boy but the two were not siblings, said Brooklyn Park Deputy Chief Mark Bruley.
Officers were called about 10:20 p.m. Thursday to a home on the 8000 block of Florida Avenue N. about a shooting that injured a child. Police arrived to find the boy had a single gunshot to the head.
Life-saving efforts were unsuccessful, Bruley said.
An initial investigation found that the 13-year-old and several other juveniles were inside the residence handling a gun to make the video. At some point, the 13-year-old accidentally fired the gun and a bullet hit the victim, Bruley said.
Another 13-year-old, an 8-year-old and another 5-year-old also were in the room. Police may pursue charges if they find the owner of the gun did not properly lock it up, according to Bruley.
The child is the fifth person who has been fatally shot in Brooklyn Park this year. This year nearly 130 incidents of shots fired and 23 people hit have been reported, according to the city website. Last year, two people were killed by gunfire, 38 people were stuck and 102 incidents of shots fired was recorded.
"We're seeing record numbers of shots fired, gun calls, guns being taken off the streets — the violence is unlike what we have seen before regarding weapons and guns," Bruley said. "It feels like (accidental shootings) are up because all too often we're going to calls involving guns, shots fired, whether it be intentional or accidental or other."
The Brooklyn Park Police Department offers gun locks at 5400 N. 85th Av.
The shooting remains under investigation.
