A 10-year-old boy in Missouri has been charged with murder after a seven-month-old baby was shot in the head in a case that shocked the US state and is believed to be the smallest murder trial in its history.The child, who cannot be named due to his age, was taken into custody on Friday after police responded to reports of a shooting at a home in St. Louis. Officers arrived to find the child, Kiomi Parker, suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.Police said officers tried to save her life before taking the baby to hospital, but she later died from her injuries. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department confirmed the death in a statement.According to court documents obtained by First Alert 4, witnesses said the boy picked up a firearm that was hidden under a mattress inside the bedroom and fired the shot that struck the child. A 7-year-old child was inside the home at the time of the shooting.The accused boy told police that he knew where the gun was kept and that it was easily accessible. He also admitted that he had previously taken her out and dealt with her before.
The child’s father, 19-year-old Camarion Pownnell, later told police he put the gun where the child found it, according to court documents.“The accused shooter told police he knew where the gun was kept, that it was easy for him to access, and that he had previously taken it out and touched it before, according to FirstAlert 4.”Pownell’s relationship to the 10-year-old boy has not been clarified.The juvenile court charged the boy with first-degree murder.Pownnell was charged separately with second-degree murder, first-degree endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child creating a substantial danger. He is being held without bond.
