Did she mean to kill him? Criminal charges for girl, 12, who shot NJ high school star

🚨 Xyere Brooks was a star football player at KIPP Cooper Norcross High School

CAMDEN — A 12-year-old girl who handled a firearm was charged in the shooting death of a standout high school football player.

KIPP Cooper Norcross High School student Xyere Brooks, 16, was shot June 6 during an afternoon gathering at a friend's house on Thorn Street. He was taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead.

After the shooting, the family described the shooting as accidental.

The gun had been brought to the house by a 16-year-old male. The girl, visiting from Wilmington, Delaware, handled the gun and “recklessly” fired it, according to Camden County Prosecutor Grace MacAulay.

The girl was charged as a juvenile with second-degree manslaughter. She and the other boy are charged with second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon. Both have been released from custody, according to MacAulay.

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Family said the shooting was accidental

Brooks had spent the night before the shooting at a friend's house, his mother told 6 ABC Action News. There were no classes the next day, according to the school calendar.

His brother, Manazh Tompkins, told 6 ABC Action News that the 12-year-old had put the gun to Xyere's head and fired, not expecting it to go off. His family believes the shooting to be accidental, Tompkins said.

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