LOS ANGELES, May 24 (UPI) -- A 15-year-old girl is dead and a 16-year-old boy was in custody after allegedly shooting the girl while playing with a handgun, Los Angeles police said.
Alexis Wallace died of a gunshot wound to her back following the shooting incident Sunday at her home, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.
A man identified as a brother of Norma Gamble, who owns the home, had recently taken the boy into the home to get him out of a bad environment in his own home, the newspaper said. Byron Gamble, 53, another of Norma Gamble's brothers, told the Times their brother wanted to help the teenager "try and turn his life around."
"Teach him there's more to life than what he'd seen: gangs, drugs, violence," said. "You come here, you work hard, this is what you can achieve."
The teen was hanging out with two teenage girls Sunday when he loaded a revolver as the girls looked on, LAPD detectives said. Wallace became uneasy and got up to leave, but the boy aimed at her and fired, police said.
Wallace was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Norma Gamble said when she came into the room where the shooting took place the boy was in a "chaotic state" and said the gun "just went off."
The boy was being held without bail, the Times reported.
