William Brown (via New Mexico State Police)
A father and his teenage son are facing criminal charges after the boy allegedly shot and killed his friend with his dad’s gun while they were gathered at the boy’s house.
William Brown, 39, has been charged with negligently making a firearm accessible to a minor resulting in death, while his son — a 14-year-old who has not been publicly identified — has been charged with open murder, New Mexico State Police announced in a press release.
The violence unfolded at Brown’s home in Questa, in northern New Mexico, on Friday, July 28, at around 2:30 p.m., police say.
“[F]our juveniles were hanging out at the residence listening to music,” the statement says. “At some point, a 14-year-old male took out a pistol and pointed it at a 13-year-old female. The male pulled the trigger, fatally wounding the female.”
After shooting his friend, the boy allegedly “dragged the female’s body outside and returned to the residence.”
Brown arrived at the residence “shortly after the homicide” and went inside the house, police said, but a standoff soon followed.
“When officers arrived, the juvenile and Brown refused to come out of the residence for approximately 30 minutes,” the statement said.
The juvenile was arrested and charged with an open count of first-degree murder, two counts of tampering with evidence, and two counts of assault on a police officer. It was not immediately clear what prompted the assault charges.
Brown was identified as the owner of the firearms inside the house. He has been charged with negligently making a firearm accessible to a minor resulting in death, part of the state’s newly enacted legislation known as Bennie’s Law. The gun-safety measure allows criminal prosecution of adults who leave their guns accessible to minors. When such access leads to great bodily harm or death, the offense is a fourth-degree felony, punishable by up to 18 months in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
Bennie’s Law also provides for a misdemeanor charge if a minor is able to access a firearm and either “brandishes [it] in a threatening manner or causes injury other than great bodily harm or death.
Police, who said the matter is still under investigation, have not publicly released the name of the victim’s family.
Questa is located around 160 miles north of Albuquerque, close to the Colorado border.
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