How Could You? Hall of Shame-Teresa J. Potts case-Child Death

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Jasper, Missouri, “a 13-year-old boy deliberately shot and killed a 12-year-old girl outside a foster home in rural southwest Missouri where they both lived using a gun he had taken from the house, the local sheriff said Friday.

Officers tried to revive the girl, Teresa J. Potts, but she died Thursday evening near the town of Jasper, which is about 130 miles south of Kansas City, Jasper County Sheriff Randee Kaiser said.

Kaiser said the boy ran into the nearby woods after shooting the girl and he was arrested there. He is being held by the Jasper County Juvenile Office, Kaiser said at a news conference in nearby Carthage, adding that the boy is expected to be charged in the shooting soon. The sheriff’s comments were reported by The Joplin Globe and Springfield, Mo. TV Station KY3.

“It was not a situation where they were playing. It does not appear to be a situation where it was an accident,” Kaiser said.

Kaiser said both of the children lived at the foster home. The father was at home at the time of the shooting. Kaiser declined to describe the relationship between the two children.

Rebecca Woelfel, spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Social Services, declined to comment on the case, citing confidentiality rules under Missouri law.

The sheriff said investigators believe the boy took the gun from the home, but he gave no further details on the weapon or how many times the girl was shot.

“There was more than one weapon missing at the time of search. All of those weapons have been recovered,” he said.

The boy was an 8th grader and the girl in 7th grade in the Jasper School District, Kaiser said. A crisis team was available to help students on Friday, Superintendent Rick Stark said in a statement.

“We are all upset and still in shock right now,” said Stark, who added no further information would be released.”

Sheriff: Shooting of 12-year-old Missouri girl by 13-year-old boy not an accident [Star Tribune 10/9/15 by Associated Press]

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