17-Year-Old Accidentally Kills 13-Year-Old Cousin While Handling Illegal Firearm in Westmoreland

A 13-year-old boy has died after being accidentally shot in the head by his 17-year-old cousin in Westmoreland. The tragic incident occurred on Tuesday, January 28, in George’s Plain, Westmoreland.

The deceased, identified as Kaeshawn Watson, also known as ‘Prince ‘ was shot when his cousin reportedly mishandled an illegal firearm given to him for safekeeping.

According to police reports, his cousin was playing with the 9mm pistol around 4:00 p.m. when he removed the loaded magazine but was unaware that a bullet remained in the chamber. When he pulled the trigger, the gun discharged, hitting Prince in the head.

Prince was rushed to the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital in critical condition. Despite efforts to save him, he succumbed to his injuries early Wednesday morning while receiving treatment.

Following the shooting, his cousin allegedly hid the firearm and later called a friend to retrieve it. Reports indicate that the friend arrived on a motorcycle and took the gun. However, as he was leaving, the loaded magazine fell onto the roadside.

Authorities, acting on intelligence, later recovered the magazine and arrested the individual who allegedly gave the cousin with the firearm. The cousin and his friend have since fled the area, and police are actively searching for them.

The police are urging anyone with information on the whereabouts of the suspects to come forward as investigations continue.