Amarillo Homicide Suspect Can Not Be Charge Because of Young Age

The news this year has been tough to stomach and this story is hard to share. The Amarillo Police Department's Homicide Unit has completed their investigation into how a 7-year old child died last week here in Amarillo. Subsequently, the suspect, can not be charged with the crime because they are only 9 years old. On May 27, APD was called to the 3900 block of Paradise Avenue in northeast Amarillo for the report of a sick person laying in the roadway.

As officers were responding, it was reported that the victim may have been shot. When officers arrived, they found a young child in the roadway with a gunshot wound. The victim was transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, which they later died from. Officers on the scene were able to identify a suspect, of whom was identified at the time as a 9 year old. The suspect was detained by the police department as the investigation begun.

Officers determined that the 9 year old suspect burglarized a home in the neighborhood and obtained the gun. A short time after the burglary, the 9-year old shot the 7-year old victim. There is no evidence an adult made the firearm available to any of the children. The child death investigation will be presented to the 47th District Attorney’s Office for review per APD policy. In the state of Texas, any person under the age of 10 cannot be charged with a crime and cannot be held criminally responsible.