8th Grader Shoots Father During Fight Over Bedtime

Forest Park, OH – A Ohio 8th grader was arrested after he shot his father last week during an argument about his bedtime.

Police said a 17-year-old girl called 911 on May 11 and said her 15-year-old stepbrother had just shot his father, WXIX reported.

The victim’s wife also called 911.

Forest Park Police Lieutenant Adam Pape said officers arrived on the scene and found a 45-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound to the stomach.

The victim was transported to University of Cincinnati Medical Center for treatment and was expected to recover, WXIX reported.

Lt. Pape said the teenage gunman had left the house before officers arrived.

The lieutenant said the boy walked to a business nearby, stole a car, and then drove 100 miles to his mother’s house in Lexington, Kentucky, WXIX reported.

The Lexington Police Department sent officers to the mother’s residence with a SWAT team for backup.

Lt. Pape said the 15 year old surrendered to officers and was taken into custody without incident and the SWAT team wasn’t needed, WXIX reported.

Police said they don’t know where the boy got the gun he used to shoot his father.

He has been charged with felonious assault and auto theft and was booked into the Hamilton County Juvenile Youth Court Detention Center, WXIX reported.

The boy was arraigned on Monday morning in Hamilton County Juvenile Court.

Lt. Pape said officers said they believed the boy should remain in custody, WXIX reported.

“We believe him to be a substantial flight risk and would prefer that he remain locked up,” the lieutenant said.

Hamilton County Assistant Juvenile Court Prosecutor Jon Halvonik also said he thought the teen gunman should remain in custody.

The boy’s attorney told Hamilton County Juvenile Court Magistrate Elizabeth Igoe that it was the first time the boy had been in trouble and asked her to release him “to whichever guardian is able to take him today,” WXIX reported.

Both his mother and his older brother also asked the magistrate to release the 8th grader.

“We just want him to have a good environment around him because [he] is not a bad kid. He just may have had some issues that he was going through but [he] is not a bad kid at all,” his older brother told Igoe.

The mother told the magistrate that her younger son had gone to live with his father at her request about six months ago, WXIX reported.

His father, who participated in the hearing from his hospital bed where he is still recovering from the gunshot wound, said that his 15 year old could not return to his home.

“He can’t stay with me, your honor,” the father said. “It’s pretty much self-explanatory to see where I’m at.”

His father told Igoe that he didn’t want his son to be released from custody, WXIX reported.

“I feel like these little problems been popping up and up, and I feel like it’s a slap on the wrist to let him out right now,” he explained.

The boy’s mother asked the magistrate to release her son to her custody in Lexington, Kentucky but Igoe said that wasn’t possible because the mother lived out of state, WXIX reported.

She said the only way she could consider releasing the 15 year old would be if he had someplace to live in Hamilton County.

Igoe scheduled a hearing for next Tuesday to allow time for the juvenile’s family to make arrangements for him to stay in the area while he awaits trial, WXIX reported.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing.