The infant’s father also faces charges tied to the gun police say was used in the shooting.
ST. LOUIS, Mo. — A 10-year-old boy has been charged with first-degree murder after police said he fatally shot 7-month-old Kiyomi Parker inside a north St. Louis home Friday afternoon.
The case has drawn attention because of the boy’s age and because prosecutors also charged the baby’s father, 19-year-old Ca’Marion Pawnell. Police said the shooting happened inside a home in the 8400 block of North Broadway, near Halls Ferry Road in the Baden neighborhood.
Officers were called just after 4 p.m. Friday for a reported shooting. When they arrived, they found Kiyomi with gunshot wounds. She was taken to a hospital, where she died. St. Louis police spokesperson Mitch McCoy said investigators determined that the 10-year-old boy was responsible for the shooting. Police said the boy was taken into custody the same day.
Authorities later said the juvenile court issued a first-degree murder charge against the boy. His name has not been released because he is a juvenile. Officials have not said what led up to the shooting or whether adults were inside the home at the moment the gun was fired. Police also said a 7-year-old child was present in the home.
Court records cited by local reports say the firearm belonged to Pawnell, Kiyomi’s father. Investigators said Pawnell told police the gun was his and that he kept it under a mattress. Records say the 10-year-old knew where the gun was kept and had handled it before. Police said the gun was not secured in a way that kept children from reaching it.
Pawnell, of East St. Louis, was charged with second-degree murder, endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child by creating a substantial risk. The charges against him are separate from the juvenile case against the 10-year-old.
The boy’s age could shape how the case moves forward. Under Missouri law, children younger than 12 generally cannot be certified to stand trial as adults. That means the 10-year-old is expected to remain in the juvenile court system. Local reports said the case may be one of the youngest murder prosecutions in Missouri history.
Police have not released many details about the relationship between the children in the home or who called 911. Officials also have not said whether additional charges are possible. The investigation remains active as detectives review witness statements, court records and evidence from the home.
As of Sunday, the boy remained in juvenile custody, and Pawnell’s criminal case was moving through court. The next major step is expected to come through separate juvenile and adult court proceedings.