A family in CANTON, Ohio is at the center of a devastating tragedy after police say a 15-year-old boy fatally shot his 12-year-old brother, then later surrendered to authorities. Investigators describe the killing as “absolutely heartbreaking,” and the case is already raising fresh questions about how a teenager obtained a gun and what accountability should look like when both the alleged shooter and the victim are children.
Officers say the younger boy was found inside a home with a gunshot wound and could not be saved, while the older sibling initially fled before turning himself in the following day. As the legal process begins, the community is grappling with grief, fear and anger over a loss that neighbors say feels painfully close to home.
The shooting, the search, and a teen’s surrender
Police in CANTON, Ohio responded earlier this month to reports of a shooting at a residence where they discovered a 12-year-old boy suffering from a gunshot wound inside the home. According to investigators, the child was pronounced dead after officers and medical crews were unable to revive him, and attention quickly turned to his 15-year-old brother, who was identified as the suspected shooter based on early evidence at the scene and witness accounts linked through initial reports. Authorities say the teenager left before officers arrived, prompting a search that extended beyond the immediate neighborhood.
Canton Police publicly appealed for help locating the 15-year-old, describing him as armed and urging him to come in peacefully, a plea that was echoed in detailed alerts shared by Canton Police. Officers later confirmed that the teen turned himself in, ending the brief manhunt and allowing detectives to begin formal interviews about what led up to the shooting, a sequence of events that was also outlined in follow up coverage of the sibling suspect. Officers have not publicly released the brothers’ names, citing their ages, but they have confirmed that the older boy is being held while prosecutors review potential charges.
Inside the investigation and the path through juvenile court
Detectives say they are still piecing together how the 15-year-old obtained the firearm and what exactly unfolded in the moments before the shot was fired. Early accounts indicate the gun was inside the home and that the older brother was “likely the shooter,” according to investigative summaries tied to Ohio authorities. Officials have not said whether they believe the shooting was intentional or the result of mishandling a weapon, and they have emphasized that key details remain under active review…