In a quiet Charlestown, Indiana subdivision, the life of 13-year-old Alexander Alec Keith Long was tragically cut short on the morning of Wednesday, January 20, 2016. A seventh-grader at Charlestown Middle School, Alexander was a member of the school's wrestling team. His sudden death left his family and the local community in shock and mourning.
On that fateful day, authorities from the Clark County Sheriff's Department responded to a call just after 11:30 a.m.
in the Rolling Hills subdivision. Upon arrival, they discovered the young male teen deceased at the scene. It was determined that Alexander had sustained a single gunshot wound from a handgun. The Clark County Coroner pronounced him dead at the residence.
The investigation into the shooting quickly led to a suspect, a 16-year-old who was known to Alexander. The older teen was taken into police custody. According to the Clark County Sheriff, the incident was not considered an accidental shooting, but rather a reckless act. The 16-year-old was subsequently charged with reckless homicide for pointing a loaded firearm at Alexander. The sheriff indicated that while the act was reckless and resulted in a death, there was no evidence to suggest an intent to kill.
Present in the home at the time of the shooting was the 19-year-old brother of the suspect; however, he was in a different room when the fatal incident occurred. Following the arrest, the Clark County Prosecutor's office was tasked with the decision of whether to charge the 16-year-old suspect as an adult. The community was left to grapple with the loss of a young life and the somber reality of a teenager facing serious legal consequences.
