Philadelphia

Boy, 12, accidentally shot, killed in bed by sibling, Philly police say

Police are investigating after, officials said, a 12-year-old boy was shot and killed in his bed by his sibling, in an incident that happened in West Philadelphia on Wednesday night.

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A 12-year-old boy was found shot in the head or neck area in his bed in West Philadelphia Wednesday evening in what police said was an accidental shooting committed by his sibling.

Police arrived at the scene at around 9:19 p.m. on May 21, 2025, and went up to the third floor of a private residence at the 800 block of Brooklyn Street, police said.

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Police found the child unresponsive in the rear bedroom, police said. He was pronounced at the hospital at about 9:42 p.m., officials said.

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Six people were in the residence when police arrived, with only one of them an adult, who is the mother of the child, police said.

On Thursday, officials identified the victim as Nashon Thomas.

Also, officials said they have taken the victim's teen sibling into custody following this incident.

Police said it is too soon to know if charges would stem from the incident, however, the house was considered an active crime scene, police said.

The investigation was focused on determining who owned the gun that was found at the scene, police said.

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