Mom of boy who fatally shot 14-year-old says it was accident

DETROIT (WJBK) - Two families are devastated after a 14-year old boy is shot and killed.

We're told he found the gun inside his home then, he and his friend went to a vacant house nearby where the gun went off.  Now that 13-year-old friend is facing charges.

The family of Frederick Austin is grieving his life. He's now gone at just 14 years old, shot and killed by a 13-year-old boy Tuesday night behind a vacant house on Radnor Street on Detroit's east side.

Because of his age, FOX 2 is not saying the suspect's name who police have arrested, but his mother wants to clear everything up.

"I just want to set the record straight they were best friends," Gabriel Bennett said. "The deceased, he took the gun from his mom's house.

"They were playing with it. He pointed it at my son, my son tried to take it from him and get it out of his face and it went off."

Bennett attended her son's preliminary hearing Wednesday afternoon in juvenile court. The judge setting bond for the young boy at $50,000.

Mom would have to pay 10 percent to get her son back home.

FOX 2: "What did he say to you?"

"He said 'Mom, I should have come home, I should have told he had the gun. I didn't tell because I didn't want to be a snitch. People say I'm a snitch if I tell,'" Bennett said her son told her. "I said son you're not a snitch if you tell he has a gun. We need to know, and that's how that went."

Bennett believes Austin may have taken the gun without his mom knowing. She added her son and the victim were being bullied in the neighborhood, causing Austin to make a terrible mistake that cost him his life.

"I believe he was taking it for protection," Bennett said.

Bennett's son cannot have any contact with other people who saw the shooting, and no contact with the victim's family. That includes contact via social media.

Austin's family has chosen not to speak on camera at this time, but his uncle tells us the suspect came to the house Tuesday evening saying he shot Austin by accident.

"He was like my baby too, he called me mom," Bennett said.

A day later, Bennett says she's getting threats.

"(They say they) hope my baby would die, and things of that nature," Bennett said.

Her son is facing one count of involuntary manslaughter, careless discharge causing death and felony firearm.

Police say they are not ruling out the fact that this tragedy could have been an accident.

FOX 2 also asked prosecutors if the victim's mom could face charges if it turns out she did not have her gun secured. They say that's all under investigation, and a decision has not been made yet.

The boy in custody will be back in court for a pre-trial hearing on June 22.