Judge weighs sentence in Ohio boy's shooting case

DELAWARE, Ohio (AP) — Defense attorneys urged an Ohio judge to go easy on a 13-year-old who has admitted to killing his mother’s boyfriend.

The defense argued at a hearing in central Ohio’s Delaware County on Wednesday that the boy’s behavior at a juvenile facility has been excellent. Lawyers who want the child released from state custody possibly after two years also say he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and that he shot 38-year-old Jeffrey Reece last April in self-defense.

Media outlets report Reece’s family members said the boy should be held until he turns 21.

The judge will give his decision next Wednesday.

The boy has admitted to a charge of involuntary manslaughter. When the child called 911, his mother told a dispatcher Reece had threatened them with a gun.