'He Said He Used a Gun': Boy, 10, Charged With First-Degree Murder in Infant's Shooting Death in St. Louis

A 10-year-old boy has been charged with first-degree murder following the fatal shooting of a seven-month-old infant, marking what legal experts believe is the youngest murder prosecution in the history of Missouri.

The child's father has also been charged after investigators alleged the handgun used in the shooting had been left hidden beneath a mattress where the boy knew he could find it.

The incident, which occurred on 26 June at a residence in the 8400 block of North Broadway, has sent shockwaves through the region. Officers from the St Louis Metropolitan Police Department arrived at the scene shortly after 4pm following reports of gunfire. They discovered seven-month-old Kiyomi Parker suffering from a gunshot wound. Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition, the infant tragically succumbed to her injuries.

Within hours, detectives centred their investigation on a 10-year-old boy who had been inside the house at the time of the shooting. He was taken into juvenile custody before prosecutors approved a first-degree murder charge.

The prosecution has drawn immediate attention because of the suspect's age. Local broadcaster First Alert 4 reported the boy appears to be the youngest person ever charged with murder in Missouri, underscoring the extraordinary legal territory the case now enters.

Investigators Say Boy Knew Where Gun Was Hidden

Charging documents paint a troubling picture of how the shooting unfolded.

According to court records obtained by First Alert 4 and the St Louis Post-Dispatch, witnesses told police the boy picked up a handgun before firing the shot that killed the infant.

Detectives allege the child later admitted to using a firearm stored underneath a mattress inside the home. He allegedly told investigators he knew where the gun had been kept, understood it would remain accessible and had previously removed it from its hiding place on other occasions.

According to a probable cause statement cited by KSDK, the bullet struck Kiyomi Parker in the head.

Investigators also allege the firearm belonged to the baby's 19-year-old father, Ca'Marion Pawnell, who admitted placing the gun beneath the mattress where the boy could reach it.

Those allegations now form the foundation of the criminal case against the teenager.

Infant's Father Also Charged

Pawnell has been charged with second-degree murder, first-degree child endangerment resulting in the death of a child and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child by creating a substantial risk.

Prosecutors contend that leaving the weapon unsecured inside the home created the circumstances that led to the baby's death.

Neither the allegations against the boy nor those against Pawnell have been tested in court.

Rare Murder Case Heads To Juvenile Court

Missouri law generally requires juveniles to be at least 12 years old before they can be certified to stand trial as adults. Because the suspect is 10, legal experts expect the case to remain in the juvenile justice system despite the severity of the charge.

A first-degree murder allegation carries the state's most serious criminal accusation, yet juvenile proceedings are designed around rehabilitation rather than adult sentencing.

A seven-year-old child was also inside the home when the shooting occurred, according to local reports. Prosecutors must now pursue one of the state's youngest murder cases while separately arguing that an unsecured firearm inside the home directly contributed to the death of seven-month-old Kiyomi Parker.

The two cases will proceed independently as investigators continue gathering evidence. For one family, however, the legal process follows an irreversible loss that has already become one of the most shocking child shooting cases the state has seen in recent years.