A teenager in Little Rock was taken into custody after a shooting on March 12, according to local police. The 17-year-old was arrested at an Arkansas children’s hospital and charged with violent crimes, though the exact charges have not been publicly released. It is unclear whether the teen will be tried as an adult, but the prosecuting attorney’s office has authorized such a move.
The details of the alleged incident have not been fully articulated by authorities, but it appears a fight broke out between the teen and another man at an apartment complex near Interstate 30 on March 12. The fight reportedly escalated, and the teen is believed to have shot the other man several times. It is not clear from the report whether the other man, who remains unidentified publicly by police, survived the alleged attack.
What prompted the altercation is also not known, but it has been confirmed the teen was arrested by police later the same day. The arrest took place at a children’s hospital, but it is not clear whether the teen was seeking treatment for injuries at the facility. As he is a minor, he is not listed on the local Arkansas jail’s website, so whether he remains in police custody at this time is also unclear.
There are a variety of reasons why violent crimes are perpetrated by minors, not the least of which can be self-defense. Depending on whether the teen is charged as an adult or not, he could face serious jail time for charges as serious as attempted murder. However, his criminal defense counsel will work hard to protect the presumption of his innocence, and will carefully review the events leading up to the alleged shooting as part of their process to build a strong defense for the upcoming court date.