A 14-year-old boy has been arrested in Wyoming after he allegedly shot his mother in the back of the head after they got into a fight over a tablet.
Police with the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home in Cheyenne, Wyoming, after they received a report of a 41-year-old female with a gunshot wound to the head around 12:50 p.m. on March 7, according to a news release shared by the department.
Once police arrived at the home, they found the woman who was “unconscious but breathing.” Police added that there was “a visible gunshot wound to the back of her head.”
The victim, who has since been identified as Theresa McIntosh, was transported to a local hospital for treatment before she was airlifted to a medical center in Colorado. Police confirmed that she ultimately died from her injuries.
“A juvenile was taken into custody at the scene,” authorities added in the release. “Further details regarding charges or the identity of the involved parties are being withheld at this time due to the age of the suspect and the sensitive nature of the case.”
Police also said that the investigation remains active.
The Wyoming Tribune Eagle and Cowboy State Daily reported that the alleged shooter was identified as McIntosh’s teenage son, according to a police affidavit submitted to the Laramie County Circuit Court.
The 14-year-old initially stated that his mother shot herself, according to the affidavit. However, he later admitted to shooting her after they got into an argument about a tablet that he allegedly stole from one of her cleaning business clients.
The teen said he was angry at McIntosh for calling him names and insulting him while they were arguing, according to the court documents. He also allegedly told authorities that he’d thought about killing his mother during previous incidents, “specifically when she would make him do things he didn’t want to do.”
He added that he killed his mother while he was in his bedroom and he used a gun that she usually kept in her car.
The teen allegedly took the weapon from his mom’s vehicle about a week earlier after they got into a “big fight” over his math grades, per the affidavit.
The boy’s father — who was also McIntosh’s common-law husband — was home at the time of the shooting, though he said he didn’t realize the shooting happened because he was wearing noise-cancelling headphones while playing video games.
He later went upstairs and found his son standing outside the bedroom, while McIntosh was on the ground. The father said that his son originally told him that he “didn’t know what happened.”
The father then called 911 and attempted to help McIntosh until first responders arrived.
“I don’t want to think what I think happened,” the man told police, per the affidavit. “I don’t even want to put it into words. I don’t want to think that because it’s a really f**ked up thing for a parent to think.”
The father added that the teen was seeing a counselor and was on medication for mental health issues at the time of the shooting.
The Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Cowboy State Daily and Oil City News reported that the teen has since been charged with first-degree murder and will be tried as an adult.
If he is found guilty, the teen could be sentenced to life in prison.
It is not currently clear if the teen has retained legal representation or entered a plea. The Laramie County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment.
