A boy aimed at his victim and said, "I don’t like you" before shooting him. Although the child was not prosecuted, three men, including a relative of the child and the owner of the weapon, faced federal charges for possession of firearms. This is a regrettable incident, but it is not the only case of minors involved in criminal acts.
In different places and times, similar tragedies have occurred. In 1899, in Alabama, Lizzie Cook set her 2-year-old brother on fire. In 1887, in South Carolina, Virginia Hudson beat an one-year-old baby to death. In 2008, in Argentina, two children kidnapped, beat, and suffocated a 2-year-old girl.
A more recent case took place in Chile in 2022, when a 7-year-old boy shot and killed an 8-year-old boy with a pellet gun. Despite the seriousness of the crime, the boy was declared not responsible due to his age. His parents, members of the Carabineros, were arrested and convicted of manslaughter.
Throughout history, there have been documented cases of minors involved in criminal acts worldwide. The United States and Saudi Arabia have been the scenes of crimes committed by children as young as 4 years old. In 1897, Retta McCabe assaulted her younger brother, causing his death. In 2012, a Saudi boy shot his father for not buying him a console.
Incredibly, there have been cases of even younger children perpetrating violent acts. In 1929, in Kentucky, 6-year-old Carl Newton Mahan shot his friend during an argument. In the year 2000, 6-year-old Dedrick Owens became the youngest school shooter in the United States by shooting and killing his classmate.
These tragedies highlight the importance of addressing both gun ownership and the underlying causes of violence in society, especially when it comes to minors involved in criminal acts.
