Teen accused of shooting 9-year-old with BB gun says he didn’t shoot on purpose

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A 9-year-old was shot and injured with a BB gun.

Now, the 17-year-old accused of shooting the boy is facing criminal charges.

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In a Channel 2 Action News exclusive, Channel 2′s Cobb County Bureau Chief Michelle Newell spoke with the suspect and his stepmother about what led up to this.

The suspect said he did not pull the trigger on purpose.

Investigators said he shot a boy with the BB gun and then fired it toward multiple children, but the suspect said it accidentally went off.

“I feel bad about the situation,” said the suspect’s stepmother.

The woman did not want to be identified on TV but she wanted to speak out about what her stepson is accused of doing.

“At the end of the day he was a little boy who got popped with a BB gun, but at the same time the grandmother should have listened when I told her before about her grandkids,” said the stepmother. “They throw rocks. They laugh and then they run away, and I feel like that is harming the community as well.”

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The teen said he was holding the BB gun while he confronted the victim about bullying his siblings, but says he didn’t shoot the child on purpose.

“I’m 17, he’s 9. I can’t just come out here and discipline someone else’s child even though he’s terrorizing my siblings,” said the teen. “I cried. I’m not going to lie. I shed a tear. I wouldn’t want anybody doing that to my little 9-year-old brother.”

The boy’s hand was injured and police have the BB gun as evidence.

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