15-year-old Illinois teen who fatally shot 13-year-old boy during sleepover pleads guilty to involuntary manslaughter
A 15-year-old Illinois boy has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter for his role in the shooting death of 13-year-old Jaden Krauss at a sleepover earlier this month.
According to the Belleville News-Democrat, the teen pleaded guilty to his charges in Marion County juvenile court on Tuesday, May 15. No further details on the plea have been released because of his status as a minor. He has been remanded to the Franklin County Detention Center until his sentencing on June 26.
Centralia Police responded to a residence at the 100 block of South Pine at 5:47 am on Saturday, May 4, after they received a 911 call about a shooting incident. On arrival, they found Jaden with a gunshot wound to the head.
The Centralia Fire Department and Lifestar Emergency Medical Services tended to the 13-year-old at the scene before rushing him to SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital for further treatment of his critical head injuries. The teen was later transported to the Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead early on May 6.
While the 15-year-old was charged in connection to the shooting, four other juveniles who were at the home were only detained and questioned before they were released without any charges.
Authorities have said they are still investigating the incident and that the other teens at the sleepover could still face charges.
Speaking to the Belleville News-Democrat following the teen's plea, Centralia Police Chief Brian Atchinson said, "There’s still things we want answers to. This is still very much an active investigation."
He described the case as "complicated" and that the department was "not ruling out anything," adding, "We’re looking at the whole case, not just that one person’s involvement. There’s more parts of this case."
Jaden's mother, Jaianna Grant, is also of the belief that the 15-year-old did not act alone. "It's really not that much. I keep hearing that more charges might come after this, but I feel like they are satisfied with this kid that he admitted that he did it," she insisted to KSDK. "There’s other people that are responsible that also need to be investigated. I want answers, I want answers."
An online obituary for the 13-year-old states that he was a student of Centralia Junior High School, where he "enjoyed running Track and also enjoyed playing video games, live streaming, and making videos for his YouTube Channel."
It also says he was an organ donor who had a "big heart and would accept anyone for who they were," with his mother revealing her hopes that her son's organs would make a difference to someone's life.
A GoFundMe page set up to raise donations for Jaden and his mother has raised $9,883 of a $12,500 goal at the time of writing.