Alabama teen accused of killing brother had a 'hit list' with other family targets, officials say

An Alabama 14-year-old who is accused of fatally shooting his teen brother had a "hit list" of other family members he wanted to kill and made threats about shooting up a school, authorities said Wednesday.

The teenager, who was not identified by law enforcement, killed the 17-year-old, who had been missing since Monday, at their home in Monticello, the Pike County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Wednesday.

The teen confessed to kiling his brother during a Tuesday interview with Sheriff Russell Thomas.

“He stated his brother got up and staggered out of the residence and out the back door, where he then fell at the bottom of the steps. He dragged him about 60 yards to the back of the property,” the sheriff’s office said.

The sheriff’s office did not directly say in its statement if the 14-year-old was arrested or charged, but a statement from the Pike County School District said a student had been arrested in connection to the death of a family member. NBC affiliate WSFA of Montgomery, Alabama, reported the teen had been charged with murder.

It was unclear Thursday if the teen has been charged as a minor or an adult. It was also unknown if he had an attorney. No one with the county’s district attorney’s office could be immediately reached Thursday afternoon.

The investigation into the teen's death began Tuesday after the younger brother called his father to pick him up from school, saying hewas “upset” his older brother was missing, according to the sheriff’s office.

The father found his son dead in the back of their property and called law enforcement, according to the sheriff’s office.

The father told investigators his older child had been missing since Monday but that he had not reported it to law enforcement, the sheriff’s office said.

During the investigation, the sheriff’s office learned that the suspect told a friend what he had done, officials said.

“He then asked his friend to help him murder the rest of his family and help him bury their bodies,” the sheriff’s statement said. “The friend also stated the 14-year-old had a hit list in his bookbag of family members he wanted to kill and made statements about wanting to shoot up the school. After searching the bookbag at the residence, deputies located the hit list of family members that was reported.”

Pike County High School administrators were made aware “of disturbing and threatening statements made by a fellow student,” the district said.

The student was immediately removed from the school, according to the district statement.

The sheriff's office said the community is lucky there was not more bloodshed linked to the teen suspect.

"We are very fortunate and blessed we do not have more casualties as a result of a 14-year-old having access to a weapon."

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com