In a shed behind a vacant home on Radnor Street on the east side of Detroit, a group of youths gathered on a Tuesday evening. Among them was 14-year-old Fred Austin. It was within the confines of this neglected structure that a handgun would tragically alter the course of several young lives.
Suddenly, the camaraderie of the gathering was shattered by the discharge of a firearm. Fred Austin was struck, and the playful atmosphere turned into one of horror and disbelief.
When the authorities arrived at the scene in the 5300 block of Radnor, they found the young teenager fatally wounded. A weapon was recovered at the scene, and an investigation into the circumstances of the shooting was immediately launched.
The investigation quickly led to a 13-year-old boy who had been with Austin and three other youths in the shed. According to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, the handgun belonged to Fred Austin, and the 13-year-old had picked up the weapon before it discharged, killing Austin. The young suspect was taken into custody as authorities worked to determine whether the shooting was a tragic accident or the result of an argument.
The 13-year-old was subsequently charged as a juvenile with involuntary manslaughter, careless discharge of a firearm causing death, and felony firearm. Following the charges, the case proceeded through the juvenile justice system. The outcome of the legal proceedings for the 13-year-old suspect has not been made public. In the wake of the tragedy, Fred Austin's uncle expressed his profound grief and implored parents to educate their children about the dangers of guns.
