Moorhead police: Teen shot, killed while kids handled gun

Authorities say the gunshot that killed a 13-year-old in Moorhead on Friday was accidentally fired as a group of kids handled a gun.

Moorhead Police identified the teen Monday as Zain Hussein Mezher.

According to the department, officers were called to an accidental shooting report in the 900 block of 19th Street South just after 6 p.m. They found Mezher in a wooded area nearby and started providing emergency aid to the teen. However, he died from the injury.

While it’s not yet clear how they got the gun, police say a group of juveniles was in the wooded area handling it when the gun fired, hitting Mezher. Responding officers did recover the gun.

The incident remains under investigation and police say the county attorney will decide if charges are appropriate when the investigation is finished.