The tragic incident that unfolded in St. Louis, Mo., has left the community in shock. A 10-year-old boy is facing a first-degree murder charge after an infant girl was shot to death in a home last Friday.
According to police, the shooting occurred inside a residence shortly after 4 p.m. last Friday. Responding officers took a child shot in the head from the scene and performed life-saving measures in the back seat of the police vehicle while she was rushed to an area hospital.
The victim, identified as seven-month-old Kiyomi Parker, was pronounced dead at the hospital. An investigation revealed that the unnamed boy allegedly fired the gun, making him the youngest to face a murder charge in Missouri history.
While Missouri had no minimum age to charge a child with murder, a 2024 state law now requires that anyone accused as an adult of serious felonies must be at least 12 years old.
The girl's father, 19-year-old Ca'Marion Pawnell, was also charged in the case, facing one count of second-degree murder, felony murder, and other charges. According to court documents, the father allegedly stored a gun underneath a mattress in a bedroom of the house, and the accused boy knew where the firearm was kept and could easily access it.
The boy allegedly told investigators that he had taken the gun out from the bed and had touched it before. This revelation raises questions about the handling of firearms in the home and the potential consequences of such actions.
The accused boy has been placed in the protective custody of the Missouri Children's Division and is currently at a hospital where he is being psychiatrically evaluated. He can only be tried on the murder charge in juvenile court due to his age.
