SACRAMENTO, California – A 53-year-old man and his child are in custody after the boy took a stolen gun from his father’s car and fatally shot a 10-year-old, authorities said. The incident occurred in the Foothill Farms community of Sacramento County.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office reported that the man sent his son to retrieve cigarettes from his car, at which point the boy took a gun from the vehicle and boasted about having a gun. He then shot the victim once and fled to a nearby apartment. Deputies found the victim bleeding from the head and neck and administered CPR until the child was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The suspected shooter’s father, Arkete Davis, allegedly tried to dispose of the gun by placing it in a trash can, authorities said. The firearm was reported as stolen. The victim was identified as Keith “KJ” Frierson.
The suspected shooter, a juvenile, was booked on suspicion of murder, while his father was arrested and booked on suspicion of various charges including possession of a firearm by a felon and child endangerment. Davis is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail and was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.
The boy was detained at the Sacramento County Youth Detention Facility. Juveniles in Sacramento County must be charged within 48 business hours of arrest or detention. Bail is not utilized for minors, but they can be released to parents or legal guardians.
The incident is under investigation, with authorities working to understand the circumstances that led to the tragic event.