A 13-year-old boy in the United States has died after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds when police officers mistook the BB gun he was carrying for a firearm.
According to emerging reports, officers in Ohio responded to reports of a robbery in Colombus and were, according to a police statement, informed that one of the perpetrators was carrying a gun.
Police pursued three males who matched the descriptions of the suspects and followed two of the assailants into an alley.
Police in Ohio shot and killed 13-year-old Tyree King while responding to a report of an armed robbery https://t.co/DhJYqoCvLo
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While attempting to arrest the individuals, one pulled what police believed to be a weapon from his waistband.
According to the police statement, "One officer shot and struck the suspect multiple times."
Following a crime scene investigation, it was established that the officers involved in the pursuit mistook the teen's BB gun for a handgun.
Tyree King died in a children hospital this week.