Inset: Cameron Coney (GoFundMe). Background: Atlanta cops investigate after Coney was shot and killed by his friend (ANF).
A 14-year-old Georgia boy is behind bars after he allegedly shot his 12-year-old friend to death while messing around with a gun.
The boy, who has not been identified because of his age, is facing a murder charge, according to Atlanta police. Family members have identified the victim to local TV stations as Cameron Coney.
Cops responded shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday to a home on the 1800 block of Lathrop Street SE. When they arrived, they found Cameron suffering from a gunshot wound. First responders took him to a hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.
Police have not said what led up to the shooting, but family members told local ABC affiliate WSB that Cameron had some friends over. One of the teens allegedly brought a gun.
"We were told one of them pointed the gun at all the friends, and when it got to Cameron, it was on his chest," Cameron's aunt Latosha Coney told the TV station.
That's when the 14-year-old allegedly pulled the trigger. It's unclear if the boy accidentally pulled the trigger or if he did so on purpose.
In a GoFundMe account description, family said Cameron was a "silly, playful young boy who was known for making people laugh with his jokes."
"What makes this tragedy even more heartbreaking is that Cameron was shot in his own room, in the place where he should have felt the most safe — his home. No family should ever have to endure this kind of pain," the description said.
Cops took the suspect to the Metro Youth Detention Center, where he remains. His next court date has not been released.