Video: Thirteen Year Old Charged As Adult In Shooting

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TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) — A 13 year old Tupelo teenager is charged as an adult in connection with a shooting Wednesday morning.

Thirteen year old Samuel Hood is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He’s being held on a 50 thousand dollar bond.

Tupelo police say Hood and a friend were at this South Highland Drive house Wednesday morning, when they should have been in school.

Investigators say Hood had a stolen 38 caliber revolver and shot his friend in the ear, causing significant damage.

“He could have killed his friend very easily,” said TPD Chief Bart Aguirre.

After the shooting Hood went to Tupelo Middle School, where he’s a student.

He checked himself in, and was arrested less than 15 minutes after the gunfire.

The unloaded gun was found at the school.

Hood was charged as an adult after police met with the district attorney.

“He’s been cooperative with the investigation, so I think he realizes what happened the other morning, just wasn’t the right thing to do,” Chief Aguirre said.

Wayne Housely is a criminal defense attorney, who does not represent Hood.

Housely says the decision to charge the teen as an adult came down to the fact that a gun was involved in the crime.

Housley says the teenager will have the same rights as an adult.

“In America, the best country in the world, the best criminal defense system in the world, he has to be afforded this protection, and if I were his attorney I would be sure his rights were protected,” Housley said.

Samuel Hood is an inmate here at the Lee County Adult Jail. Sheriff Jim Johnson says state law mandates that Hood will be treated as an adult prisoner because of the felony charge.

The Grand Jury will review the case early next year. After that a circuit court judge could keep Hood in the adult system, or transfer his case back
to juvenile court.