14-year-old accused in fatal Henderson shooting accepts plea deal
A 14-year-old accused of fatally shooting his brother in Henderson accepted a plea deal Wednesday in Family Court.
The boy, whose name was not publicly released because of his age, pleaded guilty to one count of aiming a firearm at another human being, his attorney Lance Maningo said in court Wednesday.
The teenager was arrested last April 13 after his 10-year-old brother, Dylan Houston, was found dead in their home near South Gibson Road and Paseo Verde Parkway.
Houston died from a shotgun wound to the head, according to the Clark County coroner’s office.
Because the shooter was younger than 16, he was sent to juvenile court where he would have a hearing to determine if he would be charged as an adult. Police said they booked the boy on involuntary manslaughter.
Instead, Maningo and Clark County District Attorney Mike Watson settled on a plea deal. The teenager was out of custody at the time of the hearing, and Houston’s parents were present.
“In a situation like this, our goal is to get as many services in place as possible to help the family,” Watson said Wednesday. “We won’t argue for anything more than probation and services being put in place.”
Maningo said that all firearms were removed from the home and the teenager is in counseling.
Hearing Master William Croft accepted the plea and reiterated that the boy was prohibited from access to any weapons and must continue therapy.
Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.
