13-Year-Old Killed Sister With Homemade Gun: Cops

A 13-year-old boy had a business selling untraceable guns, including semi-automatic weapons, that he built using parts purchased online—until it all went south Saturday, according to police. Two people arrived at the boy's home in Douglasville, Ga., to buy one of the "ghost guns" but grabbed it and fled, at which point the boy opened fire, killing his 14-year-old sister, Kyra Scott, Douglas County Sheriff Tim Pounds said Wednesday. "He was shooting at the folks that took his weapon, but instead, he shot his sister," Pounds said of the unnamed suspect now held on a charge of murder. Kyra's mother opted to drive her to the hospital, but she died on route, police said, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Kyra's brother and one person accused of taking the gun, 19-year-old Yusef McArthur El, were arrested Monday and denied bail a day later. El is charged with murder and robbery-sudden snatch, per the Journal-Constitution. Deputies are still looking for the second alleged thief, per the Washington Post. Lt. Jon Mauney noted more charges could follow while commenting on the "tremendous amount of work" ahead, including in determining the number of guns the boy created and how many are now on the street. Pounds expressed dismay at the business. "A 13-year-old kid, doesn't weigh but about 80 pounds, was able to make a weapon from start to finish," he said, noting he'd "never heard" of such a thing "in my entire career."

Law enforcement are increasingly encountering ghost guns, including on teenagers. Some 8,700 of these weapons were seized last year, up from 1,750 in 2016, reports the Post. It adds one was used in a school shooting in Phoenix on Monday. District Attorney Dalia Racine said her office will review the findings of the police investigation in this case. This "tragedy of epic proportion" is "absolutely senseless, and many are grappling to understand how this could happen," she said. "Kyra Scott, by all accounts, was a beautiful and kind soul, and nothing that is done in this case will bring her back." A GoFundMe campaign created by an older sibling has raised $16,000 for the family. (More shooting death stories.)