On July 7, 2015, a 12-year-old boy was arrested in Minneapolis, Minnesota in connection to a deadly shooting in Omaha, Nebraska, ABC News reported.
The boy, along with a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old, will be charged with first-degree murder.
Initially, the Douglas County Attorney's Office said that the juveniles would be charged as adults, however, Douglas County Attorney D. Kleine later said that the 12-year-old was going to be charged in juvenile court due to a Nebraska statute that became effective on Jan. 1.
Under the statute, suspects who are under the age of 14 must be tried in juvenile court.
Victim Killed During Drug Deal
On June 29, the boys arranged to meet with J. Ray, 31, at Miller Park in North Omaha to purchase marijuana. All three suspects were carrying guns; investigators found shell casings from two different guns at the crime scene, said Kleine.
The boys were allegedly attempting to rob Ray during the drug deal and ultimately shot him at close range. Ray later died from his injuries at Nebraska Medical Center.
C. Fisher, 30, who accompanied Ray, was injured during the shooting and transported to Creighton Hospital, according to police.
When you're sitting in a courtroom with people in grade school charged with this kind of crime, it's shocking, said Klein. Klein said there's no question in his mind that the boys have gang connections.
The U.S. Marshals Service Metro Fugitive Task Force obtained information about the 12-year-old suspect's whereabouts in Minneapolis. They tracked him down and arrested him without incident on July 8, U.S. Marshals Service spokesperson Chris White told ABC News.
The 12-year-old has family in Minneapolis, but White said that he couldn't comment further on the boy's connection to Minneapolis. The boy will have to go through court proceedings in Minneapolis before he is extradited to Omaha.
If your son or daughter is facing criminal charges, reach out to a criminal defense lawyer for help!