Boy, 11, charged with murder after killing neighbor over puppies

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Boy, 11, Charged With Murder After Killing Neighbor
Boy, 11, Charged With Murder After Killing Neighbor



An 11-year-old boy in Tennessee has been charged with killing his 8-year-old neighbor over an argument about puppies.

Neighbors told investigators that MaKayla Dyer was playing with her puppies on Saturday night in White Pine near Knoxville when the unidentified boy approached her.

A neighbor explained, "He asked the little girl to see her puppies. she said no and laughed and then turned around, looked at her friend and said, 'let's go get the--' and never got 'puppies' out."

See photos of Dyer and reaction to her death:

Investigators say the fifth grader went home, picked up his father's loaded 12-gauge shotgun and shot her in the chest through the window.

One neighbor told WKBN, "This is not a gun issue, this is a parenting issue. Our problem with our country now is that we're not stepping in and being good parents. We're not stepping in them right from wrong."

Another said, "Guns should be under lock and key if you have children... no where in arm's reach of a child. No parent should have to bury their baby"

The 11-year-old is being held in juvenile court on charges of first degree murder.

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