DETROIT – A 14-year-old boy pleaded guilty to charges Thursday in connection with the fatal shooting of 13-year-old boy on a snow day in Detroit.
The boy pleaded guilty to manslaughter by weapon aimed with intent but without malice. The charges of careless discharge causing injury or death and felony firearm violations were dismissed.
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Emarjae Watkins (pictured above) was an 8th-grade student at Sampson-Webber Leadership Academy. He was fatally shot.
Watkins was the captain of the Detroit City Chess Club and volunteered to help less fortunate metro Detroit families.
A severe weather alert was declared and schools across southeast Michigan had their first snow day of the year. Watkins spent his snow day playing video games with three boys at a home on Tireman Avenue.
Police said the three boys -- ages 13, 14 and 15 --are grandchildren of the homeowner. The boys allegedly went upstairs to the grandmother’s bedroom and took a revolver. Police said the boys wanted to scare Watkins.
The gun went off and the bullet hit Watkins in the chest.
Authorities performed CPR at the scene, but Watkins was pronounced dead at Henry Ford Hospital.
“They were home from school because of the snow emergency” Detroit Police Assistant Chief Steve Dolunt said. “Initially it looks like the homeowner left a handgun unsecured in the upstairs bedroom.”
The grandmother was taken into custody and later charged. The three grandsons were interviewed by police.
According to investigators, the revolver didn’t have a trigger lock, but was unloaded and in a locked bedroom. Police said they believe the shooting is a result of a gun owner failing to properly secure her weapon in the home while she was at work. The grandmother is a postal service worker.
Assistant Chief Dolunt expressed his frustration with irresponsible gun owners:
READ: Detroit grandmother in custody after teen fatally shot while children play with her gun
Charges dismissed against grandmother
Lise Cox, 58, was charged along with her 13-year-old grandson.
She was charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree child abuse and felony firearms violations.
READ BACK: Grandmother, grandson charged after teen fatally shot during snow day in Detroit
Charges were dismissed in January after it was determined there was not enough evidence to proceed.
Cox's arraignment is below:
Stay with Local 4 and ClickonDetroit.com as more information becomes available.