A 14-year-old boy shot a 12-year-old boy in the chest Sunday evening in Olyphant, Lackawanna County District Attorney Brian Gallagher said.
The 12-year-old remains in critical but stable condition at a local hospital, Gallagher said.
Police arrested the 14-year-old suspected shooter, another 14-year-old boy and a 13-year-old boy, the district attorney said.
Because they are juveniles, he’s barred by state law from disclosing their names.
Gallagher said he hopes to eventually charge the 14-year-old as an adult, but state law requires his case to start in the juvenile justice system.
“We are charging him with attempted murder, aggravated assault and related charges,” Gallagher said in a text. “And we intend on filing a petition to transfer him to adult court and treat him as an adult.”
Because the boy is younger than 15, state law forbids immediately charging him as an adult, Gallagher said.
As an adult, the boy would face more serious penalties, including long-term prison time. The criminal complaint and arrest affidavit, which contain more details on what occurred, would also become public.
Gallagher said the shooting occurred about 8:30 p.m. in the 100 block of Susquehanna Avenue in Olyphant, a small borough northeast of Scranton.
