EVERETT — A 15-year-old boy accused of shooting his 11-year-old brother in the face Sunday told police he bought the handgun after being shot in August.
Snohomish County sheriff’s detectives recovered the .38-caliber revolver at the scene. They continue to investigate whether the boy’s parents knew he had the weapon.
The teen made a brief appearance Monday morning in juvenile court. Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Randy Yates told the judge that the boy mishandled the firearm. The judge found probable cause to hold the teen for investigation of reckless endangerment and unlawful gun possession, a felony. He was ordered held on $5,000 cash-only bail.
Prosecutors have until Wednesday to file charges.
His brother was in serious condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. He is expected to recover, a hospital spokeswoman said. The shooting was reported about 12:30 p.m. Sunday in the 12400 block of Admiralty Way. Deputies initially were told the shooter fled but later determined that the victim’s older brother allegedly pulled the trigger.
He was booked into the Denney Juvenile Justice Center. He told detectives he purchased the revolver from an acquaintance a few months after he was hit by gunfire in a drive-by shooting.
Police suspected that a simmering gang rivalry was behind the violence in August.
An 18-year-old man allegedly fired a military-style rifle at a pickup truck with four people inside, including the 15-year-old.
The shooting happened in the busy intersection of 112th Street SW and Fourth Avenue W, south of Everett.
Detectives were told that the people in the pickup truck had been looking for the shooter in hopes of beating him up in retaliation for some past offenses, according to court documents. They ended up next to him at a stoplight. Juan Beteran Monrroy allegedly placed the rifle on top of his car and pointed it at the victims.
They threw a metal bat and a knife at him and then sped away. He gave chase and allegedly fired several rounds at the pickup truck. Deputies found bullet holes in the pickup’s tailgate, back window and backseat.
The 15-year-old was struck in the armpit.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @dianahefley.
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