ST. PETERSBURG, FL – A horrifying incident took place on Friday afternoon in St. Petersburg when an 11-year-old boy, Amir Williams, was shot to death. The suspected perpetrator is his 14-year-old brother, according to local police.
Police responded to gunshot reports at the home of Amir Williams at 12:15 p.m. They found the young boy with a fatal gunshot wound. “This is a community tragedy,” remarked St. Pete Police Assistant Chief Michael Kovacsev, stressing the recurring problem local law enforcement encounters with firearm access.
At the time of the shooting, the boys were at home with their 13-year-old sister, given the day was a school holiday for Pinellas County. After the incident, the sister called their mother to inform her of the horrifying event. Unfortunately, their mother was involved in a car crash as she rushed to get home, suffering minor injuries. A rideshare service eventually took her home.
The teenage brother reportedly told detectives that he found the gun in a nearby alley without the family’s knowledge of its presence in the house. The police disclosed that the said firearm was reported stolen from a car on April 24. Investigators are now working to trace how it eventually fell into the teenager’s possession.
Amir’s family remembered him as a joyful, playful boy who played as the running back for the St. Pete Little Devils football team and was a sixth-grader at Azalea Middle School.
According to Assistant Chief Kovacsev, the 14-year-old brother could potentially face charges. However, consultations with the State Attorney’s Office are required.