17-year-old drinking, playing with gun accidentally kills teen brother, Texas cops say
A 16-year-old is dead following a night of “poor decision-making” by a group of teenagers, Texas deputies said.
The teens, all 16 and 17 years old, were drinking alcohol while unsupervised at a Houston home at about 3:30 a.m., Nov. 25, when one pulled out a firearm and started to play with it, Harris County Sgt. Jason Brown said in a news conference posted by KHOU. He said the parents were “indisposed somewhere else.”
A 17-year-old was playing with the gun when it went off, Brown said, and a bullet struck his 16-year-old brother in the chest.
The group attempted to save his life by performing first aid and they immediately called 911, according to Brown. When officers arrived on scene, the 16-year-old was dead.
All five teenagers were questioned, deputies said. Only the 17-year-old brother was taken into custody and is going to face charges, Brown said.
According to Brown, the Harris County District Attorney’s office has accepted preliminary charges for the older brother, but the exact charges have not been announced.
It is unknown how the teens obtained the alcohol and firearm, but there were firearms in the home, according to Brown. He added that the gun likely belonged to a family member.
Officials did not publicly identify the teen killed or his older brother that is facing charges.
This story was originally published November 25, 2024 at 12:30 PM with the headline "17-year-old drinking, playing with gun accidentally kills teen brother, Texas cops say."
