12-Year-Old Accidentally Shot Mom, Made Up Story About How She Died, Police Say

JEFFERSON COUNTY, AL — A 12-year-old boy in Alabama made up a story about how his mother died before eventually admitting to police that he accidentally shot her, according to authorities.

Deputies were called shortly after midnight Saturday to a residence in the 2400 block of Freemont Avenue in Forestdale, where they found the body of 29-year-old Ayobiyi Cook, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Law enforcement said in an initial news release that a man was seen fleeing the home, but provided an update Monday, saying that Cook's son had admitted to fabricating events that detectives determined to be impossible.

“The family has been cooperative throughout the process and the child will remain with them,” according to the sheriff’s office. “This offense is a tragedy for the Cook family and the entire community.”

The incident will be addressed in family court, police said. Cook’s husband was at his job as a police officer in Birmingham when the shooting occurred, The Washington Post reported.

At least 169 unintentional shootings have been committed by children so far in 2022, resulting in 74 deaths, according to Everytown For Gun Safety.