A teenage boy charged with murder in the fatal shooting of an Irish chef in the US began carrying a gun when he was 10 years old, a court has heard.
The teenager, now 15, who has only been identified in US courts by his initials KH due to his age, will find out in the coming weeks if he is to be tried as an adult for the murder of Shaun Brady.
Mr. Brady, a chef from Nenagh, Co Tipperary, was shot and killed outside his restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri, in August 2024.
The married father-of-two, who owned and co-managed the Brady and Fox Restaurant and Lounge, was reportedly trying to stop a car break-in when he was shot.
Police said they responded to a report of a shooting in a car park next to several businesses in late August on 63rd and Rockhill in Kansas City, Missouri, where Mr. Brady’s Irish restaurant was located.
Officers said that from their initial inquiries, Mr. Brady was taking out rubbish when he saw several people beside a vehicle in the car park. After an interaction with them, Mr. Brady was shot.
Two teenage boys, both under 18, were arrested in connection with the shooting. Prosecutors in the US have argued that the crime was too violent for juvenile court. However, defence lawyers have described how the teenager was forced into a life of crime since he was 10 in order to feed himself.
The court heard that KH had been exposed to violent crime from a young age and had survived cancer three times before he turned 10. He had also experienced abuse, homelessness, and drug use in his short life.
"15 is a young age, but why would you take a gun and then try and steal a car, there’s no excuse," said David Grace, a friend of Mr. Brady’s, speaking outside the court on Tuesday.
Mr. Grace added: "I’m compassionate for people who are underserved by society – I am.
"But I do draw the line when you take a gun to steal a car. It doesn’t excuse the act. That’s my case."
The judge said she will issue her decision on whether KH will be tried as an adult by May 14. KH’s father has since hit out at the US justice system and claimed that the juvenile system "overlooked" his son.
Speaking to local station KCUR, the father of the boys said that his younger son’s mental health issues had been overlooked and that his previous run-ins with the law had not resulted in him being treated properly by the juvenile system.
* This article was originally published on Extra.ie
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