A 5-year-old boy was killed in Arapahoe County in Colorado, and his 11-year-old brother has been arrested under suspicion of first-degree murder.
Arapahoe County deputies responded to a home on South Jericho Street around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10, according to Denver7.
Little has been shared about the situation, though investigators said they later determined the suspect was the victim’s 11-year-old brother. A sheriff’s office spokesperson has confirmed that the case is now being investigated as a homicide.
The child suspect — who has not been publicly identified due to his age — was taken into custody at the Marvin W. Foote Youth Services in Centennial, the sheriff’s office spokesperson said.
It is not currently clear if the suspect will be charged as an adult. His parents have not been charged in connection to the crime.
“Our hearts go out to the family of these two young boys and to everyone in our community who is grieving this loss,” Sheriff Tyler Brown said about the incident, per Denver7. “Cases involving the homicide of children are among the most difficult our deputies and investigators face. Our team is fully committed to a thorough investigation, and we will continue working tirelessly to determine exactly what happened.”
The 5-year-old boy’s cause of death is still under investigation as of time of publication.
“It is with great sadness that I want to share with you that one of our Kindergarten students has died unexpectedly,” Timberline Elementary Principal Mary Bowens said in a letter sent to parents on Wednesday, March 11, per the outlet. “There is currently an active police investigation and law enforcement asked the District not to release the student’s name.”
Bowens added that the district would offer additional mental health staff “to support students and staff in processing this loss” beginning on Friday, March 13. Other resources were also made available on the Cherry Creek School District’s website.
Neighbors that lived near the siblings have been left in shock following the tragedy.
Emily Silengo told CBS News that the situation was “incredibly jarring and shocking and very emotional.” She continued, “I have a little daughter of my own, and to hear that, I mean, makes me pretty emotional.”
Silengo added that they live in a “very safe, very, very family-oriented” area.
“My heart goes out to the family. I can’t imagine what they’re feeling. I hope that they get the support that they need,” Silengo said.
Meanwhile, neighbor Kirby O’Loughlin recalled learning that something had happened at the boys’ home. “I pulled in, I was grabbing dinner, and then I saw two or three cop cars, which is definitely alarming, because we don’t usually see cop cars at all in here,” O’Loughlin said. “It’s definitely a wild sight. I mean, I went to take the dog for a run, and you got cops all looking for evidence and drones.”
“It’s something that you know you would literally, as a parent, is probably your worst nightmare. At least for me, that was my first thought,” O’Loughlin added of the situation.
