Posted on June 27, 2007

Boston Police Say 7-Year-Old Shot 8-Year-Old Dead

Reuters, June 26, 2007

Boston police questioned a 7-year-old boy on Tuesday who shot and killed his 8-year-old cousin with an illegal gun, the latest example of the toll of gun violence in U.S. cities.

The family had told police three armed intruders burst into their home and gunned down LaQuarrie Jefferson, 8, on Sunday night. But after further interviews with family members, the truth emerged on Monday as the boy died in a hospital.

The victim’s mother, Lakeisha Gadson, 30, apologized for lying and said the slaying was a tragic accident. She had briefly disappeared with the 7-year-old and police launched a city-wide search for the two.

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LaQuarrie’s father is a convicted killer who had served time for the 1997 stabbing death of a homeless man and is now in prison for a series of 2004 armed robberies.

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