Deadly Shooting Of 18-Year-Old May Have Been Accident
ENGLEWOOD (CBS4) - A teenager is dead after what may have been a tragic accident. Witnesses say the 18-year-old was shot to death by his friend.
Police responded to a call of shots fired around 9:45 p.m Saturday on South Santa Fe Drive near Dartmouth Avenue.
Officers found the teen victim shot dead inside of a car in the parking lot of a mobile home park.
CBS4's Melissa Garcia spoke exclusively with the mother of one of the boys involved in the deadly incident.
"It was an accident," said Emma Rios, the mother of the victim's friend.
In Spanish, Rios said that her son had been hanging out with some friends outside of her Englewood home when the gun went off.
"They were playing with the pistol," said Rios, "they didn't realize the gun was loaded."
The 17-year-old boy who fired the shot is in police custody, charged with second degree murder.
"He's a good kid," said Rios, of the shooter. "He used to come over here a lot with my son."
As Englewood police actively investigate the shooting, they haven't released details including where the teens got the handgun.
Police have not released the name of the suspect because he is a juvenile.
The release of the victim's identity is pending notification of his family.
Melissa Garcia has been reporting for CBS4 News since March 2014. Find her bio here, follow her on Twitter @MelissaGarciaTV, or send your story idea to mkgarcia@cbs.com.