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12/23/2024 02:15:12 am

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Florida Pre-teen Arrested for Shooting and Killing Homeless Man

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(Photo : REUTERS/Max Whittaker) A Walther handgun is displayed at the Smith & Wesson booth at the Safari Club International Convention in Reno, Nevada

An almost-teen Florida boy was arrested Thursday for reportedly shooting and killing a homeless man on June 28, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said.

The twelve-year-old boy has been put under arrest for the death of a homeless man, identified as Thomas Trent, who was found dead in a vacant lot near 103rd Street at around 7:20 a.m. on Monday.

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According to police reports, the boy allegedly shot Trent once in the head, killing him immediately.

Authorities used surveillance videos from surrounding businesses for the investigation and spotted the 12-year-old boy at the scene of the crime. Another person of interest shown in the footage, who was jailed for an unrelated robbery incident, had also implicated the younger boy.

After the pre-teen was taken into custody, the young shooter admitted to killing the homeless Trent with a .22 caliber gun.

"The suspect gave admissions, and he identified himself in the video and being present and involved in the murder," Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Assistant Chief Chris Butler told NBC Miami.

Investigators see the incident as random rather than premeditated as no previous connection between Trent and the boy has been uncovered. Robbery was also crossed out as a possible motive since Trent had not been robbed.

The State Attorney's Office has yet to file charges against the boy and refused to release any statement regarding the incident.

Meanwhile, Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford talked about the young offender on Thursday, citing that children should be raised and taught to value life.

"They become violent because we're not teaching them values," he said.

Rutherford also stressed the importance of a strong family support system, as well as the active participation of members of the community in prevention and intervention programs, which help teach young ones how to handle problems without resorting to the use of violence.

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