16-year-old surrenders in fatal shooting of 12-year-old

A 16-year-old boy wanted for manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a 12-year-old boy surrendered to authorities last week.

Midwest City Police Chief Brandon Clabes said last Friday that the suspect turned himself in to Oklahoma County authorities.

On Sept. 30, police were called to the Sand Hills Apartments, 1424 N. Midwest Blvd., about a possible shooting. When police arrived, several bystanders were rendering first aid to Roland Jones, who had been shot in the chest.  The victim, earlier reported as a runaway from Midwest City, was transported to OU Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead.

According to an arrest affidavit filed on Oct. 15, investigators spoke with witnesses on the scene who said several juveniles were gathered in the parking lot before the shooting. They did not hear any arguing before the one gunshot.

One of the teens was identified as the possible shooter.

The teen’s mother initially denied any knowledge of the shooting. She said she was out of town and her children were staying with their grandmother. The grandmother told police that she had not seen her grandchildren in weeks.

Later that day, a school resource officer at Star Spencer High School contacted police, saying the mother wanted to make arrangements to turn her son in, the report said.

Detectives went to the family’s home to meet with the teen who turned over the gun. The teen told police that he went to the apartment complex to play basketball. One of the teens brought a gun and marijuana and showed it off to the group, according to the report.

One of the teens allegedly told police he didn’t want to be around the gun so he started to walk away when he heard the gun go off. That 12-year-old stumbled into him saying he had been shot.

Another teen told police that the gun magazine was empty when they ejected it. When they put it back into the gun it went off and shot the 12-year-old. The teen holding the gun said he was scared and left the scene, the report said.

The 16-year-old has been charged with manslaughter in the first degree.