A 10-year-old boy has been charged with first-degree murder after an infant girl was fatally shot in the head in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 26, 2026. The victim's father, 19-year-old Ca'Marion Pawnell, also faces charges including second-degree murder and child endangerment for allegedly storing the firearm improperly.
Infant Killed in Shooting
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department responded to a home shortly after 4 p.m. on June 26, 2026. Officers found a child with a gunshot wound to the head and performed life-saving measures in the back of a police vehicle while rushing her to a hospital. She was later pronounced dead. The victim was identified as seven-month-old Kiyomi Parker, the niece of the accused boy.
According to CBS affiliate KMOV, an investigation revealed that the 10-year-old allegedly fired the gun. The boy is believed to be the youngest person ever charged with murder in Missouri history.
Father Also Charged
On June 28, 2026, authorities charged Ca'Marion Pawnell with one count of second-degree murder, felony murder, one count of endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child creating substantial risk. Court documents indicate that Pawnell stored a gun underneath a mattress in a bedroom, and the boy knew where the firearm was kept and could easily access it. The boy allegedly told investigators he had taken the gun out from under the bed and touched it before the shooting.
Juvenile Court Jurisdiction
On June 29, 2026, Joel Currier, a spokesperson for Missouri's 22nd Judicial Circuit, confirmed that the 10-year-old can only be tried in juvenile court. “As he is under 12 years old, the juvenile will not be subject to certification proceedings and therefore cannot be certified to be tried as an adult,” Currier said in a statement. The boy was placed in the protective custody of the Missouri Children's Division and is currently at a hospital undergoing psychiatric evaluation. Missouri law, updated in 2024, requires that anyone accused as an adult of serious felonies must be at least 12 years old, preventing the boy from being tried as an adult.
