Police: Utah boy who killed himself last year was distraught after accidently shooting friend

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Police say a teenage boy was so distraught after accidently killing his friend while playing with a stolen gun that he turned the weapon on himself at a suburban Salt Lake City home last year.

South Jordan police released the new details Friday after last November’s deaths of 15-year-old Dayton Gessell and 12-year-old Taylor Wheeler.

Authorities say the two boys were with a group of friends playing with the three guns in the basement when Wheeler was killed. Police believe Gessell shot himself after the others ran to get help.

An adult was upstairs at the time but didn’t know what was going on in the basement. Police say the guns came from a third boy who was 16 at the time. He’s charged with theft, burglary and aggravated assault.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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