Vero Beach boy shot, killed Jan. 30 while playing with gun made from parts bought online

VERO BEACH — Police released information for the first time Tuesday of their investigation into a Jan. 30 shooting death of a 14-year-old boy they said was accidentally shot by a friend playing with a loaded weapon.

The agency called the shooting a “tragic accident” in a news release and said it would not pursue criminal charges against anyone involved.

The teen died from the gunshot wound despite what were described as paramedics' immediate, life saving measures.

Police officials and detectives said Tuesday that for over a year, the boy who died bought parts to make the untraceable 9 mm, referred to as a “ghost gun.”

Detective Jennifer Brumley said he went to what she called “dark web” sources, purchasing the parts using online anonymity tools to obscure any means of tracking the purchases. She said the gun had to be modified to fire by adding a firing pin.

She said she doesn’t believe the boy had help making the weapon.

According to details in a news release, the boy awoke his mother on Jan. 30 telling her he had accidentally shot himself.

The woman told detectives she knew the teen was building the gun from parts ordered online, but she said she was unaware he had ammunition.

The boy and two friends were playing with the weapon in his bedroom when he was shot, according to Police Chief David Currey.

He said all three boys were between 14 and 15 years old and two were grasping for the gun when it fired at 1:40 a.m.

He said the 14-year-old grabbed for the gun which was being held by one of the other boys and a bullet discharged, striking him in the abdomen.

The boys said they didn't know the gun was loaded, he said.

“(The boy holding the gun) claimed he did not pull the trigger,” said Currey, adding the magazine was not in the weapon at the time. “One (bullet) must have been in the chamber - of course you can’t see that readily.”

Currey said police pursued a charge of child neglect for culpable negligence against the mother and filed an affidavit with the state attorney’s office, which was denied last week.

He said it was because the woman said she was unaware of ammunition in the home.

Currey described why they pursued the charge.

“Accountability. We talked at length about it and that’s why we put together an affidavit to present to the state attorney’s office,” he said. “We still owe it to (the boy), we owe it to the community and to ourselves just to do the right thing.

Assistant State Attorney Bill Long described the case as a pending investigation and said he could not comment on specifics.

Long said he was contacted March 10 by police with the affidavit for the charge.

"The state attorney's office reviewed the arrest warrant as initially proposed and recommended further investigative action," said Long.

Anything further in the case, he said, was up to police.

The Police Department asked anyone with firearms to keep them locked and away from children.

Corey Arwood is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Corey on Twitter @coreyarwood, or reach him by phone at 772-978-2246.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: 14-year-old Vero Beach boy shot, killed by friend playing with gun made from parts bought online