Teen dies after brother allegedly shoots her over video game fight
A 14-year-old girl in Mississippi who was shot in the head by her 9-year-old brother over a video game controller has died, authorities said.
Monroe County Sheriff Cecil Cantrell said the girl, Dijonae White, was shot in the back of her head after the argument with her brother, who was not immediately identified, while playing a video game on Saturday afternoon.
“She wouldn’t let him have the controller,” Cantrell told The Post on Monday during a brief telephone interview. “So he walked behind her and shot her. That’s what he told us, that’s what he said.”
The boy told deputies he used a .25-caliber handgun that was kept in a nightstand in his mother’s bedroom. The gun is registered to his mother’s live-in boyfriend, Cantrell said. It wasn’t clear if the owner of the handgun will face charges, according to the sheriff.
“Everything is under investigation at this point,” he said. “This is a very intense situation. You’re talking about a minor, a very small child.”
Cantrell, who has worked in law enforcement for more than three decades, said the case is a first.
“We’ve never dealt with anything like this and I hope to never deal with another one,” he told The Post. “This is a terrible situation. It has shocked our community and it’s just a very intense situation, especially with all the recent school shootings.”
Cantrell said the boy was in his mother’s custody on Monday.
“I think he understands, but at the same time, he don’t understand. I mean, he’s 9 years old. They play these video games where people get shot and killed and then they hit the reset button and everyone’s fine. I guess he was upset. I don’t know.”
Cantrell said the girl was first rushed to a hospital in Amory before being transferred to Le Bonheur’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis, where she was being treated in intensive care prior to her death.
The boy’s mother said her son did not have prior disciplinary issues or violent confrontations with his older sister, Cantrell said. The boy’s mother was home at the time of the shooting and had been preparing lunch for the children and an adult guest.
“We’re looking at every scenario,” Cantrell told The Post.
Dijonae was a student at Tupelo Middle School, WTVA reports. Calls seeking comment from school officials were not immediately returned.
Monroe County Coroner Alan Gurley said the girl died from a single gunshot wound to the head. The manner of death remains under investigation, Gurley told The Post.