Teen boy, 14, is charged after his 12-year-old friend was shot dead just a month before his 13th birthday
- A 14-year-old boy has been charged with voluntary manslaughter after police say he fatally shot his 12-year-old friend in December
- The horrific incident unfolded in Virginia on December 21 around 11am
- Kemon Battle was shot and died a day later, a month shy of his 13th birthday
- Police are revealing few details about the incident except that it wasn’t random
- Kemon’s cousin says he blames the town for not giving children enough resources and says they need to invest in their schools and recreation centers
A 14-year-old boy has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of a 12-year-old Virginia boy named Kemon Battle, of Portsmouth.
The tragedy unfolded on December 21 just before 11am, and little Kemon died the following day just a month shy of his 13th birthday.
Portsmouth police did not identify the juvenile charged Tuesday and they have released few details about what happened except to say the shooting was not a random act of violence.
Little Kemon Battle (pictured) was shot and killed by his friend who is 14-years-old, according to police
Police are not releasing the teen’s name as of yet. He is charged with voluntary manslaughter
De’Andre Barnes, a Portsmouth school board member who said Kemon was his cousin said that police haven’t told the family exactly what happened. But he said the suspect was a friend of Kemon’s.
‘This is kind of bittersweet,’ said Barnes told the Virginian Pilot. ‘Two kids losing their lives at such a young age.’
‘They hung together,’ Barnes said, adding that the pair were friends. ‘They lived in the same neighborhood,’ Barnes added.
The little details police have released so far is that the shooting was ‘not a random act of violence.’
The detectives also thanked the community for their ‘continued cooperation and support.’
A memorial was held for little Kemon on January 2 for family and friends
In the boy’s obituary it says his favorite video game was Fortnite, and his favorite snacks, strawberry Pop-Tarts and pizza rolls.
Following the teen’s arrest, Barnes says he believes his cousin’s death was a direct result of ‘Portsmouth not investing in their children.’
He called on the city to spend more money on schools and recreation centers.
Kemon was a student at Cradock Middle School.