14-year-old charged with first-degree murder

A first-degree murder charge has been laid against a 14-year-old teen in the death of a teenage boy in Barrie’s south-west end.

Police officers were called to a house in Barrie just before 6 a.m. Tuesday and say they found the young victim with life-threatening injuries.  He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Peter Leon with the Barrie Police Service says the suspect was arrested 15-minutes after the initial call.

He was located a short distance from the home without incident.

The door to the home remains sealed Wednesday morning as investigators wait for a Justice of the Peace to sign a warrant to allow the Barrie Police Forensic Identification unit to begin its on-scene investigation.

“(The) public can expect a police presence in the area until the on-site investigation is complete,” says Leon.  They expect to be at the scene for a couple of days.

Police say the identity of the victim will not be released until a forensic post mortem is conducted to confirm the identity and cause of death. That autopsy is scheduled for Thursday under the Office of the Chief Coroner.

Leon says both boys lived in the home but says there was no family relationship between them. Neighbours say they believe it was a foster home, but they do not know much about who lived there.

Simcoe Muskoka Family Connexions Communications Director Melanie McLearon says they cannot confirm whether or not the home or child was under their oversight.

She says:  “Ontario’s Child, Youth and Family Services Act (CYFSA) protects the confidentiality of all children, youth, and families involved with a Children’s Aid Society. We take those protections very seriously and therefore we cannot respond to any questions about whether a child or youth is or is not in care.”

Leon assures that “there is no threat to public safety and this is an isolated incident.”

The young suspect will be in court on Friday for a bail hearing. Along with the first-degree murder charge, he faces charges of aggravated assault with a weapon and a Youth Criminal Justice Act violation.