A 14-year-old boy in Wyoming has been charged with first-degree murder after authorities say he fatally shot his mother following an argument over a tablet.
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Per a news release, deputies from the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home in Cheyenne, Wyoming, on March 7 after receiving a report of a woman with a gunshot wound to the head. When officers arrived, they found “41-year-old female” unconscious but still breathing with a visible gunshot wound to the back of her head.
The Wyoming Tribune Eagle later identified the woman as Theresa McIntosh.
Emergency responders transported McIntosh to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center before airlifting her to a medical facility in Fort Collins, Colorado. She later died from her injuries.
Investigators allege that McIntosh’s teenage son shot her during an argument about a tablet he had allegedly stolen from one of her cleaning business clients. Authorities say the confrontation escalated inside the family home before the shooting occurred.
According to a police affidavit submitted to the Laramie County Circuit Court, the teenager initially told investigators that his mother had shot herself. However, medical staff determined the wound did not match a self-inflicted gunshot. During questioning, the boy later admitted that he shot her.
14-Year-Old Lethally Shot Own Mother Over A Stolen Tablet
Court documents state that the teen used a handgun that belonged to his mother. Investigators say he had taken the weapon from her car about a week earlier, following another argument, reportedly related to his math grades.
Authorities say the teen retrieved the gun from his room during the dispute. When McIntosh bent down to pick up a notebook during the confrontation, he allegedly shot her in the back of the head.
The boy’s father, who is also McIntosh’s common-law husband, was home at the time of the shooting. According to investigators, he was downstairs playing video games while wearing noise-canceling headphones and did not initially realize what had happened. He later discovered McIntosh and called 911 while attempting to help her.
Authorities took the teenager into custody at the scene. Prosecutors have charged him with felony first-degree murder, and officials say he will be tried as an adult. If convicted, he could face life in prison.