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Charges, arrests remain unclear in accidental shooting death of Dallas 11-year-old boy
Dallas police still have not given any update two days after a 9-year-old accidentally shot an 11-year-old with a gun found in a car.
DALLAS - Dallas police still have not given any update two days after a 9-year-old accidentally shot an 11-year-old with a gun found in a car.
The Dallas police chief mentioned it while lobbying in Austin, but whether there will be charges in the death of 11-year-old Dazmon Ray Brown Jr. or an arrest remains a mystery.
Dazmon’s mother, Keyamber Matlock, told FOX 4 her son was playing with two friends: 9 and 11-year-old brothers.
Police told Matlock the mother taking care of all three boys left them in a car while she went inside Walmart, but the kids found a gun in the car and the 9-year old accidentally shot and killed Dazmon.
Matlock is asking for prayers for everyone involved, including the woman who was supposed to be watching all three boys.
"Because I know they feel like everybody hates them," she said.
MORE: Dallas family of young boy fatally shot by 9-year-old says he was in another mother's care
Russell Wilson is an attorney and former Dallas County prosecutor who is not involved in this case
"The law is supposed to be prosecuted where in a way that we protect society and punish misconduct," he said. "It’s hard to draw that line between an accident and a crime, and this is one of those cases that sounds like it certainly falls right on that line."
Wilson says the mother could face charges such as child endangerment or making a weapon accessible to a child.
The shooting was early Sunday afternoon. Dallas police still have not answered any questions relating to its investigation.
Chief Eddie Garcia has not spoken to local media about the shooting. Instead, he referenced it in Austin on Tuesday while lobbying against proposed legislation that would allow Texans to carry a gun without a license.
"In the City of Dallas, we just had a tragedy over the weekend where a 9-year old gained access to a firearm in a vehicle and shot and killed an 11-year old in that same car," he said.
The chief encouraged proper training and storage of guns, citing access to children.
"Again, you’d want to identify the firearm owner and certainly want to figure out how long the firearm had been inside the vehicle," Wilson said.
The department has not said who’s gun it was or where in the car it was found.
Wilson says a top question that could determine charges is if the woman knew the gun was in the car. Given the magnitude of this tragedy, he believes investigators might decide the guilt the woman feels is punishment enough.
"Particularly, if they didn’t know that a firearm was in there," he said.
Police could also refer this case to a grand jury for a decision on charges.
READ MORE: Police: 11-year-old boy fatally shot in Dallas after 9-year-old found gun in vehicle