Boy, 11, charged in fatal shooting of 3-year-old in Detroit will take 'competency exam'

DETROIT (AP) — A judge has ordered a mental competency exam for an 11-year-old Detroit boy who is charged with manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a 3-year-old boy....

DETROIT (AP) — A judge has ordered a mental competency exam for an 11-year-old Detroit boy who is charged with manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a 3-year-old boy.

Judge Frank Szymanski also made a public appeal Monday urging people to lock up their guns. He says they’re a “magnet” for kids.

The boy is charged in Juvenile Court with manslaughter without malice, as well as using a firearm during a felony.

Police say the older boy took a handgun from a closet at his father’s home last week and tossed it out a window. Police say he subsequently retrieved the gun and fired it, striking the 3-year-old in the face.

Outside court, the older boy’s mother says they’re sorry for what happened. The Associated Press doesn’t typically name minors charged with crimes.

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