Kennedy Wise, 15, died after police said a gun brought to a home fired in a kitchen.
ALLIANCE, Ohio — A 14-year-old boy and his mother appeared in separate courtrooms Monday after police said the boy accidentally shot and killed 15-year-old Kennedy Wise and then tried to make the death look like suicide.
The shooting happened last Friday afternoon at a home on West Summit Street in Alliance. Police said the boy brought his mother’s Glock 19 to the home, handled it in the kitchen and fired while believing the weapon was unloaded. Wise was shot in the face and died at the scene.
Investigators said the boy panicked after the shooting and removed the gun from the house. Police said he told his mother, Erin Barker, that Wise had died by suicide. Authorities said Barker then drove him back to the scene, where the gun was placed near Wise’s feet before officers were told what had happened.
Barker appeared by video from the Stark County jail in Alliance Municipal Court. She is charged with tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony. Judge Andrew Zumbar set her bond at $25,000. Barker spoke briefly, saying, “I’ve never been in trouble,” and asked for mercy from the court.
Alliance Police Sgt. Michael Jones said detectives interviewed witnesses before the boy admitted the shooting was accidental. Jones said officers who responded were affected by the death because the case involved children and because police view the shooting as preventable.
The boy appeared Monday in juvenile court in Canton. He faces 12 counts, including involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide and evidence tampering. The court found he should not return home, citing concerns that he was a threat to himself and the public and did not have adequate parental supervision.
The next hearings are scheduled within days. Barker has a preliminary hearing Friday morning in Alliance Municipal Court. Her son is due back in juvenile court June 30 as the case moves forward and investigators continue reviewing what happened before and after Wise was killed.
Author note: Last updated June 23, 2026.