A child in Milwaukee is facing charges for allegedly killing a man and stealing his guns on March 15. According to police, the boy, whose name has not been released due to his age, carried out the fatal shooting of 34-year-old Brandon Felton inside a home after Felton refused to sell weapons to the child. If convicted, the child could face a sentence of life in prison. During an initial court appearance, the child’s bond was set at $100,000, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 4.
Police tied the child to the shooting after discovering a pizza receipt from the night of the killing, which had been ordered using the child’s cell phone, according to a criminal complaint. The child also gave inconsistent statements to the police before acknowledging that he was at the home when the killing occurred. The child claimed he was there to play video games and blamed the homicide on someone else, according to investigators.
Police obtained text messages from the child’s phone using a search warrant, which showed that the child had planned to steal Felton’s guns with two other people. The text conversation revealed that the child had a gun and asked, “should I kill him (right now)?” Another person in the conversation replied, “Noooo,” but the child allegedly replied, “I’m belting him don’t got time for dude going after my family.”
Later, the child allegedly confessed to his mother that he had lied to the police and intended to take Felton’s guns because he refused to sell them. The public defender declined to comment on the case.
The incident highlights the potential consequences of gun ownership, especially when firearms fall into the wrong hands. It also raises concerns about access to weapons by minors, as well as the need for responsible gun ownership and control.
