Saratoga County District Attorney James A. Murphy’s office released updated information regarding the shooting death of a 12-year-old boy in the town of Wilton the evening of Wednesday, Dec. 22.
Murphy said he met with Sheriff James Bowen to discuss and review evidence relative to the shooting that occurred in the town of Wilton at the home of a 12-year-old boy where it is alleged that he and another boy, a 12-year-old friend, were playing with his father’s hand gun. Murphy said it appears the boy accidentally shot his friend in the head while playing with the gun, believing it not to be loaded.
The friend was critically injured and collapsed to the floor, the boy called 911 and the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Department responded immediately, said Murphy. The friend was transported to Albany Medical Center and remained in critical condition until late last night when he was pronounced dead with his parents at his side.
Murphy said the boy and his parents are cooperating with the Sheriff’s Department and that a search warrant was obtained from a town judge for the boy’s home as the investigation continues.
Both boys attended Maple Avenue Middle School and Principal Stuart Byrne is reportedly in the process of putting together the school’s crisis team preparing for the repercussions from the death one of their students. It is not certain whether the 12-year-old shooter will return at this point.
This is such a tragedy, especially just before Christmas … Nothing we do will bring this family their son back, but we owe it to them to thoroughly investigate this case and that is what Sheriff Bowen and I intend to do. He and I and our staff will be working over the holiday weekend in order to make sure that every aspect of this case is examined and that we come to a conclusion on how to proceed as quickly and efficiently as possible, said Murphy in a statement.
The investigation will continue over the holiday weekend in an effort to determine the location of the gun and how the boy gained access to it.
Murphy said no further statement will be released until next Monday afternoon.
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