Delinquent 12-Year-Old Shot After Trying To Rob Teen Victim At Gunpoint

A twelve-year-old boy in Cutler, California found himself hospitalized and in handcuffs after a botched attempted robbery on Nov. 26 resulted in him getting shot by his target whilst his victim tried to escape.

The twelve-year-old boy, who has not been identified publicly, was arrested on Thursday, Dec. 16, after spending weeks in recovery for the gunshot wound at the Valley Children’s Hospital, according to the New York Post.

The attempted robbery happened at the parking lot of a local business, where the twelve-year-old child allegedly pulled out a gun and pointed it at a 17-year-old sitting in his car alone. The teenager, surprised at the attempted robbery, tried to back out of the parking lot to escape, Fox affiliate KMPH reported.

However, the twelve-year-old child started shooting at the teenager with his gun, aiming at his car in an attempt to slow him down. The teenager then pulled out his own gun from his car and shot once through the windshield, hitting and wounding the twelve-year-old boy.

The teenager then continued to flee from the scene, driving away before authorities and police arrived in the area. The twelve-year-old was brought to the Valley Children’s Hospital, where he has largely recovered from his gunshot wound.

It is not immediately clear what the twelve-year-old wanted from the teenager, nor if the teenager who shot the child ended up being charged for wounding the person who attempted to rob him.

The motivations of the twelve-year-old have also not been released, and it does not appear as if the child’s parents or guardian have made a statement to the press or the police regarding the incident.

Formal charges have been put forward against the twelve-year-old, and he is currently staying at the Tulare County Juvenile Detentions Facility with no bail.