Tucson police: 16-year-old arrested in connection with death of 13-year-old brother

A 16-year-old was arrested on suspicion of fatally shooting his 13-year-old brother in the south side of Tucson on Sept. 19, according to the Tucson Police Department.

The Tucson Police Department was notified of the shooting around 8 p.m. at the apartment complex, which is located on Valencia Road near 12th Avenue. 

When authorities arrived, officers found the 13-year-old boy suffering from gunshot wounds. Tucson Fire Department crews responded but the boy died on the scene, according to a Tucson police statement on Tuesday.

The 16-year-old brother fled the apartment with another family member immediately after the shooting, police said.

Not long after, officers located the two of them at a nearby church parking lot, police said. 

Police arrested the 16-year-old on suspicion of one count of negligent homicide. The gun was not found on the scene. Police did not name the boy. 

Detectives with Tucson Police's Child Physical Abuse Unit and Homicide Unit investigated and determined the brothers were alone in a room together the moment the gun was shot. Other family members were in a separate room of the apartment when they heard the gunshot, police said. 

Anyone with additional information is asked to call 520-882-7463 or visit 88crime.org.

Reach breaking news reporter Katelyn Keenehan at Katelyn.Keenehan@ArizonaRepublic.com or follow her on Twitter @KatelynKeenehan.