Investigation continues in 8-year-old's shooting death

PERKINS TWP. — Perkins police are still looking for answers in a Saturday shooting that left an 8-year-old dead.The child was shot in the head by a 13-year-old relative at about 4 p.m. Saturday, according to Perkins police, who believe the shooting was accidental.The 13-year-old was charged with second-degree felony felonious assault, arrested and taken to the Erie County Juvenile Justice Center. Perkins assistant police Chief Vince Donald said that charge was pursued at the direction of the Erie County Prosecutor's Office, due to the initial belief that the shooting was an accident, but added additional charges are possible.Police are still trying to determine who owned the weapon, a handgun, used in the shooting, Donald said. They're also still trying to find out how the child was able to access the firearm.Donald said there was an adult and a third child in the home at the time of the shooting.Neither Perkins police nor the Erie County Prosecutor's Office released the name of the victim, or the 13-year-old, on Monday.Briar Middle School principal Scott Matheny issued a news release Monday morning, in which he identified the 13-year-old as a Briar student, and added the 8-year-old was not a Perkins student.Matheny said counselors are available for any student or staff member."Please keep the victim's family in your thoughts and prayers as they find someone way to deal with the terrible losses," he wrote. "A life ended far too early and another forever altered. Our community has always rallied together in times of crisis and a Perkins family can most definitely use that support now."He also stressed students and staff not to draw their own conclusions on the incident."Students and staff are asked to refrain from having discussions that likely contain information that is 'assumed' rather than fact," Matheny wrote. "Perkins police are investigating the incident and I ask you to leave it to them to determine what happened. This is not the time for speculation and conjecture."Perkins police also expressed their condolences to the boy's family."This is a tragedy for the entire community," Donald said.Donald stressed that members of the community ensure all of their firearms are kept secure.Visit our Perkins police hub for more storiesReach reporter Brandon Addeo at brandonaddeo@sanduskyregister.com, follow him on Twitter @BrandonAddeo and follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegister