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Two boys, ages 9 and 12, were found shot dead in Jackson, Ohio, on Wednesday
The coroner says the incident was a homicide-suicide
But it is not known whether the deaths were accidental or intentional
Boys lived with grandparents, were unsupervised when the shooting occurred, coroner says
The gunshot wounds to two Ohio boys found dead in their grandparents’ home are consistent with a homicide-suicide, a coroner said Friday.
The two boys, who were half-brothers, were found Wednesday in Jackson, Ohio, about 75 miles south of Columbus. They were identified as Austin Wiseman, 12, and Blake Campbell, 9.
Both boys suffered gunshot wounds to the head.
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The nature of the wounds and the bullets in their bodies indicated that the killings were a homicide-suicide, but it is not known whether they were accidental or intentional, said Dr. Gregory Hawker, the Jackson County coroner.
“We can’t tell – we might not ever know,” he said.
Family and friends have suggested that the older boy accidentally shot his younger brother and then was overcome with grief and turned the gun on himself, but there is no way to prove that forensically.
“Authorities have taken the older boy’s computer to make sure there’s no indication of ill intent,” Hawker said. The older boy had become obsessed with guns in the last few weeks, he said.
The boys lived with their grandparents and were unsupervised when the shooting happened, he said.
The shooting occurred in an upstairs bedroom.
“That’s crazy to think two young boys are dead, and no one knows anything about it,” neighbor Michael Hatley told CNN affiliate WSAZ.