TOOELE, UT - Last week, police arrested a nine-year-old after the child allegedly shot a family member, who later died of their injuries.
Around 7:30 p.m. on February 16, police responded to 380 W. Millcreek Way for a call for service regarding an unconscious man. There, according to Tooele Police Cpl. Colbey Bentley, authorities found an unidentified 32-year-old man with an apparent gunshot wound to his head.
Although the man was taken to a hospital in Salt Lake County, he was reportedly in "extremely critical condition," and unfortunately succumbed to his injuries over the weekend.
Cpl. Bentley said that police investigation led them to arresting the nine-year-old child, who was reportedly a family member of the deceased, although police have not revealed the specific relationship.
Bentley said they're aware of the "extremely sensitive nature" of this case, and added that he'd never seen anything like it during his career. He explained that the investigation is still in the early stages, and police aren't ready to release further details, including what led up to the shooting and the identity of the deceased.
"The impact (is being) felt not just by the family, but the community in general," Cpl. Bentley said. "This is something that's such an outlier that we've never dealt with before. ... We're trying to figure out how to cope with it and properly investigate it."
It is extremely rare for a child of that age to be arrested, especially for homicide.
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