Boy, 12, found guilty of fatally shooting Texas fast-food worker with AR-style rifle

A 12-year-old boy has been found guilty of the fatal shooting of a fast-food restaurant worker with an assault-style rifle in Texas.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested following the incident at the Sonic Drive-In in Keene, near Dallas, earlier this year.

After a three-day trial, jurors at Johnson County court delivered the verdict of delinquent, the equivalent of guilty. He is due to be sentenced on Thursday.

Officers from Keene police responded to reports of a shooting at 9.40pm on 13 May 2023. The incident occurred following a confrontation between two adults in the restaurant carpark, which then became physical, police said.

The 12-year-old boy then got out of the vehicle and fired multiple shots, striking the victim, whom Keene police later identified as 32-year-old Matthew Davis.

The 12-year-old along with his adult aunt and uncle fled the scene, but were later located by officers in Rio Vista, where the boy was taken into custody. The force said several firearms were also recovered at the scene.

The investigation led officers to a location in Rio Vista where they located the boy and took him into custody. Police also recovered several firearms at the scene.

The force said that it could not offer further information due to the suspect being a minor and the possibility of additional charges and trials in the future.