Woman arrested after her 15-year-old relative shot a friend

In South Carolina, a woman who has custody of a 15-year-old relative was arrested after authorities claimed the teenager accidentally shot his friend in the head. The incident occurred on October 8, when the unnamed teenager shot his 15-year-old friend Thaddeus Justice Terazakis, who later died in the hospital.

33-year-old Davina Jill Brown from Walhalla was arrested on October 9 on charges of unlawful placement of a child in danger. According to the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, Brown allowed her 15-year-old relative access to a 9 mm Taurus handgun without taking proper precautions. Authorities allege that she was aware of the teenager’s access to the weapon.

The shooting took place in the teenager’s bedroom, where the gun was located under a pillow. When he retrieved the firearm, it discharged and struck his friend. Terazakis’s death was ruled a homicide following an autopsy. Both teenagers had connections to the Oconee school district, one being a former student and the other a current student. The school district expressed condolences and noted that the tragedy affects the entire close-knit community. Information on whether Brown has an attorney is not currently available.