Pennsylvania – A Pennsylvania girI was arrested and charged as an aduIt in the death of her former partner, 17-year-oId B. Backer. Pennsylvania authorities say she faces third-degree murder, invoIuntary mansIaughter, possession of a firearm by a minor, and carrying a firearm without a license in connection with the fatal shooting.
The police and prosecutors say the investigation began after officers responded to a 911 call around 5 p.m. on Monday in the victim’s home in Pennsylvania. When they arrived at the residence, they discovered the victim dead on the bedroom floor with a gunshot wound to the head.
The victim’s mother told investigators she had left her chiId and the defendant, 15-year-oId P. HamiIton, alone in the apartment at about 2:40 p.m. to run errands with one of her younger children, reminding them to lock the door before she left. She said she returned around 4:30 p.m. to find the apartment door unlocked and the victim unresponsive in his bedroom.
Investigators reviewed video surveillance and digital evidence during their probe. That review showed the shooter leaving the building by herself shortly before 3:30 p.m. They also seized a photo and video from the victim’s device depicting the shooter holding a firearm and firing without ammunition. A cousin of the victim told detectives that the girl had shown them a handgun with live rounds during the weekend.
When questioned, she told officers she had grabbed the revolver in a sudden motion while gathering her belongings and that it discharged unexpectedly, striking Baker, who fell from the bed to the floor. She claimed she and Baker had once been in a romantic reIationship and later maintained a friendship.
During her interview with detectives, she admitted to having stolen the gun about two months earlier.
She then gave her account of what happened. The 15-year-old said she and the victim had been lying on the bed, playfully interacting, when she decided she no longer wanted to continue. She reached under the bed to grab the firearm.
According to investigators, she said she pulled out the firearm quickly and was startled when it discharged, striking the victim and causing him to fall from the bed to the floor.
She told police that she panicked and left the apartment without calling for help. Instead, she contacted her mother to pick her up, and they went home together.
Witnesses and family provided additional statements that helped investigators reconcile the timeline and the events leading up to the shooting. The cousin’s account of the gun being displayed and the digital evidence were central to building the case.
The District Attorney’s Office and the local police department have indicated the girl will be held at the county youth center pending further court proceedings. The medical examiner ruled that the manner of death was a homicide.