2 teens charged in accidental shooting death of 13-year-old boy

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

Two teenagers in Philadelphia have been charged in the accidental shooting death of a 13-year-old boy after they found a gun and decided to play with it.

The two teens, a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old have been charged with involuntary manslaughter and recklessly endangering another person, respectively.

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According to police, the two teens were part of a group of young people who found a gun in an abandoned house in the Germantown neighborhood. The gun was in a box along with bullets, and the 17-year-old loaded it. Investigators say the 15-year-old accidentally fired the now-loaded gun, shooting 13-year-old Christopher Mackey in the face.

NBC 10 reports that upon hearing the shot, a neighbor and Mackey’s father rushed to investigate.

“I ran back there and saw him back there,” said Slyde Huntley, a friend of the boy’s father. “I went to look at his dad. His dad tried to pick him up. It was gory.”

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The boy was taken to Albert Einstein Medical Center, where he died a little while later.

“My nephew got shot in his mouth, in his head, through his brain,” said Eddie Mackey to ABC 6. “My family right now is grieving beyond what I ever could imagine.”

Police recovered the weapon at the scene and are still investigating the shooting incident.

Meanwhile Philadelphia Cease Fire has held vigils on Christopher Mackey’s block to warn others about the dangers of firearms.

This tragedy comes within days of another local shooting death– a 4-year-old Philadelphia girl found her mother’s boyfriend’s gun and fatally shot herself in the head.

–Former NFL running back Zurlon Tipton dies in accidental shooting

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