14-year-old faces murder charge in death of Morgan City 11-year-old

A 14-year-old faces murder and weapon charges after the fatal shooting of an 11-year-old Saturday night in Morgan City, the Police Department said.

The 14-year-old boy, a Morgan City resident, was arrested on charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault and illegal use of a dangerous instrumentality.

The Police Department account says the report of a gunshot came in at 7:22 p.m. Saturday night from a residence in the 2200 block of Maple Street.

Officers arrived to discover that an 11-year-old male juvenile had been critically injured. Life-saving measures were unsuccessful, and the boy was pronounced dead.

Investigators discovered that several juveniles inside the residence gained access to a weapon. During the incident, and through evidence obtained, it was determined that a second juvenile, 14 years of age, took possession of the weapon, loaded the weapon and during the following moments discharged the weapon, tragically taking the life of the victim, the Police Department said.

The 14-year-old male juvenile, a resident of Morgan City, was detained. He was eventually arrested and transferred to a juvenile facility pending a hearing before a magistrate.

The MCPD Facebook page said Chief James F. Blair and the Morgan City Police Department extended their heartfelt condolences to the families affected by this tragedy:

"Join us in extending our grief. However, irresponsible social media speculation and hurtful comments only compound the sorrow that these families must endure. A family must deal with the tragic death of a child while others are beginning to deal with the aftermath.

"Chief Blair urges parents to survey their homes to determine that every step possible is taken to ensure that their homes are safe for their families and children. Nothing can be taken for granted. Detectives of the Morgan City Police Department are continuing their investigation. If anyone has any information that may aid investigators, we ask that they contact the Morgan City Police Department Detective’s Division at (985) 380-4605."