An Ohio teen died from injuries sustained three weeks ago after being shot by a friend while playing with firearms.
According to The Columbus Dispatch, Keontae Harper, 16, died on Tuesday at Mount Carmel East Hospital in Columbus after being shot in the head last month.
On the 2900 block of Falcon Bridge Driver on April 22, Harper and his friend, 17-year-old Denarius Crowder, were jokingly pointing handguns at each other.
Crowder was later arrested and charged with delinquency felonious assault. This charge has been upgraded to a reckless homicide delinquency count.
Both boys attended Independence High School.
In the weeks leading up to Harper’s death, his grandfather, Michael, kept the public informed of the teen’s condition via Facebook.
He announced on May 6 that the family had decided to register Harper as an organ donor.
According to the Dispatch, Harper is the fifth person under the age of 18 to die as a result of gun violence this year. In 2022, 11 juveniles were killed in shootings across the city.
