10-year-old boy kills mother because she wouldn’t buy virtual reality headset
MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin – A 10-year-old boy in Milwaukee has been charged as an adult with murder after he allegedly shot and killed his mom because she wouldn’t buy him a virtual reality headset.
The deadly shooting happened last Monday at the boy’s home.
Steve Frisch has lived near the home in the 8700 block of Hemlock for more than two decades.
According to a criminal complaint, the boy originally told police he accidentally shot his mom when he was twirling the gun.
The family called police the next day to express their concerns and to share the information that the boy had shared with them in the hours after the shooting.
The aunt stated that the boy stated that he was “actually aiming the gun at his mother.”
According to the family, the boy claimed that “he got the gun because he was mad at his mom for waking him up at 6 in the morning and that she would not allow him to order a virtual reality headset from Amazon, according to detectives.”
Police said the boy told them he got the gun by taking his mom’s keys to the gun safe, adding that he took up a shooting stance and that he wanted to shoot the wall to scare her, but she walked in front of him.
The family also told the police the boy had “rage issues” all his life, and at 4 years old he picked up a puppy by its tail and swung it around until it whined in pain.
In the first ten years of the boy’s life, there were several instances of alarming behaviors.
The criminal complaint states that six months ago, the 10-year-old filled a balloon with a flammable liquid and set it on fire, which caused a sectional and carpet in their home to catch on fire.
According to a sibling, the 10-year-old was meeting with a therapist who gave him a concerning diagnosis that led his mother to place cameras inside their home.
Police say that the cameras were unplugged two weeks ago.
A family member told police that they “felt bad for not stepping in earlier … Because they knew that eventually, something bad was going to happen.”
Police said one day after shooting his mom, the boy purchased the headset from her Amazon account.
The boy’s grandmother said he told her, “I’m sorry for killing my mom,” then asked if his Amazon package had arrived, according to the criminal complaint.
The boy has been charged with first-degree homicide. Since the boy has been charged as an adult, he faces up to 60 years in prison if found guilty.
His bond was set at $50,000. He is scheduled to return to court on December 7.
