Teen faces charges in the fatal shooting of 15-year-old at Prairie Apartments

SOUTH BEND — In the wake of a shooting that took the life of 15-year-old Donnie Gray Jr. on March 16, officials have filed criminal charges against another teenage boy in connection to Gray's death and are seeking to adjudicate the case in adult court.

Donnie was killed just before 7 p.m. on March 16 when South Bend police were dispatched to the Prairie Apartments, off of Prairie Avenue, when a 911 caller said a boy had been shot. Donnie was declared dead at the scene and the police department's daily log initially classified the incident as a "negligent homicide."

On Wednesday, St. Joseph County prosecutors filed criminal charges in probate, or juvenile, court, accusing a 16-year-old of firing the shot that killed Donnie. The boy is charged with reckless homicide, a felony, and dangerous possession of a firearm, a misdemeanor.

Prosecutors are also seeking to move the boy's case to superior, or adult, court and Indiana law states a juvenile court shall waive jurisdiction to adult court in cases involving reckless homicide if the accused minor is 16 at the time, “unless it would be in the best interests of the child and the safety and welfare of the community for the child to remain within the juvenile justice system."

The Tribune does not typically name juvenile defendants unless they have been waived to adult court.

Police say the 16-year-old was immediately taken into custody after the shooting and he is currently being held at the Juvenile Justice Center. He is scheduled to appear in court Monday for an initial hearing.

Email Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@sbtinfo.com. Follow him on Twitter: @marek_mazurek

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend teen charged in fatal shooting of 15-year-old boy