PORT ORCHARD, Wash. (AP) — Preliminary criminal charges have been filed against a 9-year-old boy accused of accidentally shooting his third-grade classmate in Washington state.
A capacity hearing will be held in two weeks to determine if the charges will ultimately proceed. Under state law, children between 8 and 12 years old can face charges if a court determines the child has the capacity to understand an act is wrong.
The boy has been with unlawful possession of a gun, bringing a dangerous weapon to school and third-degree assault charges.
His bail was set at $50,000 during a preliminary hearing Thursday.
Authorities say the boy brought a .45-caliber handgun he got from his mother’s house to an elementary school in Bremerton on Wednesday, and the weapon discharged from inside his backpack.
A bullet hit the 8-year-old girl in the abdomen and arm, leaving her critically wounded.
