14-year-old arrested after allegedly shooting and killing 12-year-old in St. Paul

ST. PAUL, Minn. (TCD) -- Police took a 14-year-old boy into custody over the weekend after he allegedly fatally shot a 12-year-old during a family member's birthday celebration by accident.

On Saturday, Aug. 5, the St. Paul Police Department announced they arrested the teen and booked him into the Ramsey County Juvenile Detention Center on a manslaughter charge in connection with the shooting of a 12-year-old on the 200 block of Stinson Street.

According to KARE-TV, police went to the residence on Stinson Street at approximately 5 a.m. and found the 12-year-old shot. Paramedics transported him to Regions Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. The boy was identified as Markee Jones.

Markee's uncle, Martez Hill, told KSTP-TV Markee and the 14-year-old were playing around with a gun someone brought into the house, and it went off. Hill said there were 14 juveniles inside the residence for his son's birthday.

He added, "This should’ve never happened. This was not the day for that. This should’ve never happened to my nephew."

Markee's aunt said she hopes the tragedy "brings a lot of attention to people who have firearms" and to ensure people keep their guns "safely locked away."

She said she now has "a nephew to bury because of somebody else's mistake."

Family and loved ones are calling for the person who brought the gun into the home to turn himself in.

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