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Thread: 11-year-old charged with reckless homicide in Canton shooting death (King Pleasant, 6)

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    11-year-old charged with reckless homicide in Canton shooting death (King Pleasant, 6)

    https://www.cantonrep.com/news/20200...shooting-death

    A neighbor said she was online when she heard what sounded like a firecracker.

    CANTON An 11-year-old boy has been charged in the Monday night shooting death of a 6-year-old in what police call a tragedy that demonstrates the need for the 'safe keeping of firearms.'

    The boy faces a juvenile charge of reckless homicide, a third-degree felony. He also will be evaluated to determine if he's competent to stand trial.

    Police responded at 7:50 p.m. to a report of someone being shot in the 500 block of 19th Street NW.

    A 6-year-old boy was taken from the scene by a private vehicle to Mercy Medical Center, where he died less than an hour later in the emergency room, according to the Stark County Coroner's Office.

    Officers took the 11-year-old into custody and charged him after consulting with the Stark County Prosecutor's Office, according to a news release from Canton police.

    The suspect and victim are not related, said Michelle Cordova, chief juvenile prosecutor.

    Detectives are investigating how the firearm was obtained, the release said. Anyone with additional information is asked to call the detective bureau at 330-489-3144 or send an anonymous text to tip411 and your message with the word Canton.

    'Tragedies like this emphasize the need for firearm safety and safe keeping of firearms,' the news release said. 'The names of the victim and suspect are being withheld at this time.'

    Police Chief Jack Angelo could not be reached for additional comment Tuesday night.

    Leslie McMichael, who lives east of the children's homes, said she had been working at her computer when she heard what sounded like a firecracker between her house and her next-door neighbor's. The young mother went out to investigate and found the 6-year-old bleeding.

    She began shouting for help and other neighbors joined her, and called for an ambulance.

    'I could only hold him and put pressure on (the wound),' she said.

    The boy had apparently suffered a wound to his upper torso. She said she talked to him, but cannot remember what she told him.

    As other neighbors joined her, she ran back into her house for towels.

    The ambulance had not arrived and the neighbors decided the child could not go without medical attention any longer. So they rushed him to the hospital, McMichael said.

    Councilman Frank Morris posted a statement on his ward's Facebook page saying it was a 'Sad night in Ward 9.'

    He wrote that 'two children were playing with a gun when the gun went off taking the life of one of the children [in the 500 block of 19th Street NW]. No details available.' He also wrote that there was an apparent suicide in the ward.

    'Praying for the families tonight,' Morris wrote.

    Competency evaluation

    The 11-year-old boy was arraigned Tuesday afternoon in Stark County Family Court during a conference call between a magistrate, attorneys and the boy, who was in the custody of the Multi-County Juvenile Attention System.

    The youth defendant entered a plea of not true, the juvenile equivalent of not guilty.

    Conducting such hearings by phone has been standard during the COVID-19 pandemic when the defendant is at the Stark Attention Center, part of the Multi-County system.

    Cordova, of the prosecutor's office, declined to comment on details of the case and the circumstances surrounding the shooting, citing the pending investigation and court case.

    The 11-year-old boy is accused of recklessly causing the death of the younger child, she said.

    Anthony Kaplanis and Victoria Ball-Munson, both attorneys with the Stark County Public Defender's Office, requested a competency evaluation for the youth defendant.

    Magistrate Ali Frantz ordered the psychological evaluation.

    Kaplanis couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday.

    Cordova said it's not uncommon for a young child who is charged with a serious felony to be evaluated to determine if he or she is competent to understand the nature of the criminal charge against them and the court proceedings.

    Also at issue is whether the child can aid in their defense.

    Ohio law says children under the age of 10 are presumed to be incompetent, both as a witness in adult court and with respect to juvenile court proceedings, Cordova explained.

    Psychological evaluations are used to settle the issue.

    Suspect's identity not revealed

    Judge David Nist ordered the boy's identity not to be revealed to the public by name or in a photo. The order applies to all parties, including the youth's parents, potential witnesses, the Canton Police Department, U.S. Marshal's Service, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Stark County Prosecutor's Office, defense counsel, Stark County Public Defender's Office, Multi-County Juvenile Attention System and any other person associated with the case.

    Court records also will identify the boy by initials only.

    A pretrial hearing in the case is scheduled for Oct. 1.

    The court ordered the boy to be released from the Stark Attention Center in Canton Township and placed in the pre-trial release program under 'parental house arrest' and with intensive monitoring, according to court records.

    The boy's father said he can supervise the child at all times, court records said.

    The child is also not to have contact 'with any family of alleged victim,' the filing said.

    Potential penalties for reckless homicide include a commitment of six months up to age 21 in a facility operated by the Ohio Department of Youth Services, also known as youth prison.

    A juvenile court judge also would have other options, including placing the defendant in a treatment facility or in a Multi-County Juvenile Attention System detention center, the youth equivalent of jail.


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    Senior Member curiouscat's Avatar
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    I hope they put whoever owned the gun in prison.
    I don't think the father is a good supervisor. Where was he during the shooting unless this is a divorce situation and momma was with new boyfriend during the shooting.
    Quote Originally Posted by Boston Babe 73 View Post
    I don't have a thousand dollars hanging around to buy a fart in a jar lol.

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