Juvenile believed he was 'dry firing' when he fatally shot 14-year-old in Prospect Heights: police

PROSPECT HEIGHTS, Ill. - A juvenile has been charged after allegedly accidentally shooting a 14-year-old at a residence in Prospect Heights Friday.

On Friday, four juveniles and a 19-year-old man were hanging out in an apartment in the 500 block of Piper Lane in Prospect Heights. There was no parent in the home at this time.

The juveniles were passing around an unloaded .380 caliber pistol, and taking turns "dry firing," police said.

One of the juveniles then inserted a loaded magazine and chambered a round. The magazine was taken out a short time later, police said.

One of the juveniles, forgetting about the chambered round, pointed the gun at a 14-year-old victim. 

The juvenile, believing they would be "dry firing," squeezed the trigger, striking the victim with a single shot to the chest, police said.

The 19-year-old man who was in the apartment with the juveniles immediately fled after seeing the victim fall to the floor.

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All three juveniles gave statements to detectives, saying the 19-year-old was the accidental shooter.

On Saturday, detectives went to the 19-year-old's residence, and he was taken into custody.

He was cooperative and agreed to speak with detectives without representation, police said.

The man denied pointing and shooting the gun, and admitted to running from the apartment — but only out of fear.

He was then released from the police station.

The three juvenile witnesses and their parents were then called back to the station. During that time, the statements of the juveniles changed.

During the interview, one of the juvenile witnesses implicated another juvenile — who was previously interviewed as a witness.

That juvenile then confessed to being the shooter.

The juvenile was taken into custody Sunday, and is charged with involuntary manslaughter.