Boy shot dead after telling friend who made joke about his mom to shut up, PA cops say
A 13-year-old boy made a joke about his younger friend’s mother, then that friend told him to “shut up,” according to local news reports in Pennsylvania.
Authorities said the teen responded by shooting his 12-year-old friend to death.
Pennsylvania State Police troopers were called to a street in Red Lion at about 8:30 p.m. Saturday, April 1, according to a news release. When they arrived, they found a boy dead of a gunshot wound.
The boy was later identified by police as Kain Heiland, WHTM reported.
Investigators learned Kain was with two other friends at the time he was killed, according to WHP. One boy was the shooter, and the other was a witness.
The witness told police that he and his friends were walking around when the suspected shooter suggested going to his home, WGAL reported. The 13-year-old boy went inside his home, then came back with a gun.
At some point after he had the gun, the teenager made a joke about Kain’s mom, according to court records obtained by WHP. The witness said Kain told his friend to “shut up,” then he was fatally shot “at close range.”
“(Kain) was spending the night at a friends house and a nightmare happened,” a family friend said in a GoFundMe.
After seeing that Kain wasn’t moving, the witness said he and the other boy went to their homes, WHP reported. The witness told his mom what happened, then police were called.
Authorities found a .380 shell casing near the boy’s body, WGAL reported.
Investigators interviewed the 13-year-old’s father, who said he had a gun safe and a .380 caliber firearm, according to WGAL. He found the gun in his safe by the time he returned home after the shooting.
Police have not filed any charges as of April 4, WHTM reported. An investigation is ongoing.
“I’ve seen Kain growing up all these years since he was a baby,” Laurel McDonald said on Facebook. “It’s apparent how loved he was. I can’t even fathom the pain that his parents, stepparents and brothers are enduring. Let’s shower them in lots of love and support. This should not have happened, no one should have to bury their child, and justice will be served for this tragedy…”
“This 100% shatters my heart,” Patti Bream wrote on Facebook. “Kain Heiland was one of my former fourth grade students. I still have a soft spot in my heart for his caring and exuberant personality. I struggle to come to grips with the death of a child and pray for his family, his friends, and all of those whose lives he touched.”
This story was originally published April 5, 2023 at 8:23 AM with the headline "Boy shot dead after telling friend who made joke about his mom to shut up, PA cops say."