By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — Very few details have been released about Monday night’s fatal shooting of a 15–year–old, allegedly by another 15-year-old, in the Suburban Acres Mobile Home Park in Warsaw.
Names of the two have not been released, likely because of their ages, and exactly what happened at 8 p.m. Monday remains unknown, other than a statement from Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office saying they believe it involved a stolen gun.
A 15-year-old was taken into custody on a preliminary charge of reckless homicide
Warsaw Community Schools issued a statement saying they were deeply saddened by the loss of life of the youth who was a student at the high school.
“This is a difficult time for our school community, and our thoughts are with the student’s family and friends,” the statement said.
Counseling staff were on site on Tuesday, with support from Bowen Health, the statement said.
Several residents of the neighborhood spoke with News Now Warsaw.
A small group of residents gathered near the street in the far northeast corner of the mobile home park next to where the shooting happened, and said they knew the two kids involved, but declined to talk.
An interior restoration company was seen working inside the home on Tuesday afternoon.
Two other neighbors offered their thoughts, and one blamed the park’s management.
“They’ve been through nine or ten managers, but they’re never out here. They say they can run it from their house. Under state law, they’re supposed to have a manager out here,” he said.
That lack of presence by management has contributed to youths doing what they want without repercussions, he said.
“People don’t watch their kids. They just let them do what they want because there are no consequences,” he said.
Overall, Suburban Acres looks somewhat stressed. A few of the homes have condemnation signs in the windows and the office building has a large exterior lock on it and it does not look as if it’s been used recently.
News Now Warsaw reached out to the company, Jones Estates, at the company’s office in Peru, but a manager did not return a call on Tuesday afternoon.
Another resident, whose family moved in just two weeks ago, expressed sympathy for those involved.
He said social media scuttlebutt has suggested the two boys were playing with the gun when it discharged.
He said he’s not worried about the environment, but adds that he and his wife had a long talk with their four kids after the shooting.
“I grew up in a trailer park. We know things happen in a trailer court. We moved here knowing there could be incidents,” he said.
He was wearing a shirt with the words, “Not Today, Satan,” and said he hopes the victim had embraced God beforehand.
“I just hope police do their due diligence … I hope that if the parents were in charge of allowing them to have the weapon, I hope they’re charged,” he said.
“I just hope there is due process,” he said.
