UPPER DARBY, PA — A 14-year-old boy was charged as an adult with third-degree murder for his role in an accidental shooting that killed a middle school student last week in Upper Darby, authorities said.
A group of minors had access to the gun Thursday afternoon inside a home when it struck a 14-year-old girl, authorities said. She was brought to the hospital and pronounced dead.
One of the children — identified as Nazim Lar, 14, of Upper Darby — was charged Friday in connection with the shooting, officials said.
The boy told detectives he knew the victim's mother kept a handgun in her bedroom closet, according to 6abc Action News.
He and another teen grabbed the firearm, which was later brought to a bedroom, says KYW Newsradio. The boy claimed the victim grabbed his right arm, placed the barrel of the gun against her head and placed his index finger on the trigger when the weapon fired, according to the news outlet.
The victim was a student at Beverly Hills Middle School in Upper Darby. Her name has not been released.
Upper Darby Mayor Ed Brown called the incident a "senseless tragedy."
"Parents, guardians, and adults, please secure your weapons and keep them out of the reach of children," Brown said in a statement. "These kinds of tragedies are avoidable and deeply affect all of us."
Lar was charged with third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and weapons offenses.
He was denied bail Friday and jailed at Abraxas Academy. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 29.
Lar didn't have a listed attorney in online court records for Patch to contact on Monday.
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