List of youngest killers
Updated: 5/20/2026, 7:35:49 PM Wikipedia source
Throughout history, there have been instances of children intentionally killing other individuals, with a majority of these cases occurring in the United States. Some children have not been charged with murder, as the minimum age of criminal responsibility varies depending on the country and location; for instance, children must be at least ten years old to be judged in the United Kingdom or in certain states in the United States, such as Wisconsin.
Tables
Killings in which the perpetrator was under the age of 13, with relevant details · List
Carl Newton Mahan
Carl Newton Mahan
Name
Carl Newton Mahan
Age at time of killing(s)
6 years
Date of killing(s)
May 18, 1929
Location
Paintsville, Kentucky, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Mahan shot eight-year-old Cecil Van Hoose. He was sentenced to 15 years in a reformatory, but his sentence was later overturned.
Unnamed boy
Unnamed boy
Name
Unnamed boy
Age at time of killing(s)
6 years
Date of killing(s)
February 29, 2000
Location
Mount Morris Township, Michigan, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
He shot his six-year-old classmate, Kayla Rolland, at Buell Elementary School. His uncle, the gun owner, was charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Lizzie Cook
Lizzie Cook
Name
Lizzie Cook
Age at time of killing(s)
6 years
Date of killing(s)
February 27, 1899
Location
Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Cook intentionally set her two-year-old brother's clothes on fire while she was babysitting. The fire burned through the fabric and he died.
Unnamed boy
Unnamed boy
Name
Unnamed boy
Age at time of killing(s)
6 years
Date of killing(s)
June 2, 1910
Location
Oslo, Norway
Killed
1
Injured
0
Unnamed boy
Unnamed boy
Name
Unnamed boy
Age at time of killing(s)
7 years
Date of killing(s)
December 4, 2022
Location
Curacautín, Chile
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
He fatally shot a friend with an air rifle. He was not charged due to his age, although his parents, both policemen who had taught him how to use air guns, were convicted of negligent homicide and sentenced to 300 days' imprisonment.
Unnamed boy
Unnamed boy
Name
Unnamed boy
Age at time of killing(s)
7 years
Date of killing(s)
January 2022
Location
Smiley, Texas, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
He shot 32-year-old Brandon Rasberry. He was not charged due to his age, but was instead sent to a psychiatric hospital.
Virginia Hudson
Virginia Hudson
Name
Virginia Hudson
Age at time of killing(s)
7 years
Date of killing(s)
July 23, 1887
Location
Butler Township, South Carolina, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Hudson beat a one-year-old child to death with a board. She was charged with murder.
Robert Robertson
Robert Robertson
Name
Robert Robertson
Age at time of killing(s)
7 years, 6 months
Date of killing(s)
June 1907
Location
Forest, Tasmania, Australia
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Robertson beat his two-year-old brother with a piece of wood while he was babysitting. He was charged with murder, then put into state care.
Amarjeet Sada
Amarjeet Sada
Name
Amarjeet Sada
Age at time of killing(s)
8 years
Date of killing(s)
2007
Location
Begusarai, India
Killed
3
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
He killed his eight-month-old sister, his nine-month-old cousin, and an unrelated six-month-old baby. He was not charged due to his age, but instead sent to a remand home in Munger.
Unnamed girl
Unnamed girl
Name
Unnamed girl
Age at time of killing(s)
8 years
Date of killing(s)
July 4, 1867
Location
Cassville, Missouri, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
She killed her four-year-old brother and was declared insane.
Unnamed boy
Unnamed boy
Name
Unnamed boy
Age at time of killing(s)
8 years
Date of killing(s)
February 7, 2014
Location
Padre Hurtado, Chile
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
He stabbed his seven-year-old cousin. He was not charged due to his age.
Patrick Knowles
Patrick Knowles
Name
Patrick Knowles
Age at time of killing(s)
8 years
Date of killing(s)
May 1903
Location
Stockton-on-Tees, England, United Kingdom
Killed
1
Injured
2
Note(s) and citation(s)
Knowles buried one-year-old Frederick Hughes, who died of suffocation. Knowles also attempted to drown one-year-old Fanny Lynas, as well as burying another child. He served nine years in prison under His Majesty's pleasure.
Unnamed boy
Unnamed boy
Name
Unnamed boy
Age at time of killing(s)
8 years, 10 months
Date of killing(s)
November 5, 2008
Location
St. Johns, Arizona, United States
Killed
2
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
He shot his 29-year-old father, Vincent Romero, and his father's coworker. He was arrested and pled guilty to negligent homicide. He was sentenced to an indefinite stay at a youth treatment center near Phoenix. He later moved to a group home and then a foster home.
Carroll Cole
Carroll Cole
Name
Carroll Cole
Age at time of killing(s)
8 years
Date of killing(s)
1947
Location
Richmond, California, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Cole drowned an eight-year-old boy. The murder was initially ruled an accident until he confessed in adulthood after killing five women. He was executed by lethal injection on December 6, 1985.
Mary Cooper
Mary Cooper
Name
Mary Cooper
Age at time of killing(s)
9 years
Date of killing(s)
1885
Location
Scottsville, Virginia, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Cooper hung and beat her seven-year-old cousin Melville Barrett.
Unnamed boy
Unnamed boy
Name
Unnamed boy
Age at time of killing(s)
9 years
Date of killing(s)
May 6, 2019
Location
Fawn River Township, Michigan, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
He shot his 51-year-old adoptive mother.
Cayetano Santos Godino
Cayetano Santos Godino
Name
Cayetano Santos Godino
Age at time of killing(s)
9 years, 4 months, 29 days – 16 years, 1 month, 3 days
Date of killing(s)
March 29, 1906 – December 3, 1912
Location
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Killed
4
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
The first murder was not discovered until Santos Godino later confessed. He was arrested several times.
Unnamed boy
Unnamed boy
Name
Unnamed boy
Age at time of killing(s)
10 years
Date of killing(s)
September 2022
Location
Haicheng Township, China
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
He strangled his grandmother to death on video after she slapped him.
Noah Q. Mann-Tate
Noah Q. Mann-Tate
Name
Noah Q. Mann-Tate
Age at time of killing(s)
10 years
Date of killing(s)
November 21, 2022
Location
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
He shot and killed his mother.
Unnamed girl (referred to as "A. F.")
Unnamed girl (referred to as "A. F.")
Name
Unnamed girl (referred to as "A. F.")
Age at time of killing(s)
10 years
Date of killing(s)
October 30, 2018
Location
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Killed six-month-old Jaxon Hunter. Her case was moved to juvenile court in 2019.
William York
William York
Name
William York
Age at time of killing(s)
10 years
Date of killing(s)
May 13, 1748
Location
Eyke, England, United Kingdom
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
York attacked five-year-old Susan Matthew with a knife, killing her. He was sentenced to death, but later pardoned.
Hubbard Harrell
Hubbard Harrell
Name
Hubbard Harrell
Age at time of killing(s)
10 years
Date of killing(s)
February 3, 1888
Location
Savannah, Georgia, United States
Killed
3
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Harrell burned his six-year-old nephew and two unrelated children with boiling water.
James Osmanson
James Osmanson
Name
James Osmanson
Age at time of killing(s)
10 years
Date of killing(s)
April 12, 1994
Location
Butte, Montana, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Osmanson shot his 11-year-old classmate Jeremy Bullock at Margaret Leary Elementary School. He was sent to a residential treatment facility.
Joseph McVay
Joseph McVay
Name
Joseph McVay
Age at time of killing(s)
10 years
Date of killing(s)
January 2, 2011
Location
Big Prairie, Ohio, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
McVay shot his 46-year-old mother Deborah McVay. He was charged with "delinquency by virtue of committing murder." He was sentenced to a juvenile detention center, then a residential treatment facility.
Unnamed girl
Unnamed girl
Name
Unnamed girl
Age at time of killing(s)
10 years
Date of killing(s)
September 18, 2010
Location
Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
She beat two-year-old Zyda White, who she was babysitting. White fell unconscious and later died.
Jane Walker
Jane Walker
Name
Jane Walker
Age at time of killing(s)
10 years
Date of killing(s)
1886
Location
Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Walker poisoned the younger relative she was babysitting. She was charged with murder.
James Arcene
James Arcene
Name
James Arcene
Age at time of killing(s)
10 years
Date of killing(s)
1872
Location
Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Arcene, alongside a man named William Parchmeal, shot and beat William Feigel. Arcene was convicted of robbery and murder, then executed.
Robert Thompson
Robert Thompson
Name
Robert Thompson
Age at time of killing(s)
10 years, 5 months, 20 days
Date of killing(s)
February 12, 1993
Location
Liverpool, England, United Kingdom
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Thompson and Venables abducted two-year-old James Bulger from a shopping center in Bootle. They tortured Bulger before laying him across railway tracks, where he was hit by a train. They both spent eight years in a young offenders' institution. In 2017, Venables was re-incarcerated for possessing Child pornography.
Jon Venables
Jon Venables
Name
Jon Venables
Age at time of killing(s)
10 years, 5 months, 30 days
Unnamed boy
Unnamed boy
Name
Unnamed boy
Age at time of killing(s)
10 years
Date of killing(s)
August 21, 2013
Location
Broadview, Saskatchewan, Canada
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
He beat six-year-old Lee Bonneau to death. He was not charged due to his age.
Joseph Hall
Joseph Hall
Name
Joseph Hall
Age at time of killing(s)
10 years, 10 months, 12 days
Date of killing(s)
May 1, 2011
Location
Riverside, California, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Hall shot his 32-year-old father, neo-Nazi leader Jeff Hall. He was sentenced to juvenile detention until the age of 23. His stepmother Krista McCary was charged with criminal storage of firearms and child neglect.
Mary Bell
Mary Bell
Name
Mary Bell
Age at time of killing(s)
10 years, 11 months, 30 days – 11 years, 1 month, 7 days
Date of killing(s)
May 25, 1968 – July 31, 1968
Location
Newcastle upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom
Killed
2
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Bell strangled four-year-old Martin Brown and three-year-old Brian Howe, killing them both. She served 12 years in prison under Her Majesty's pleasure.
Anton Wood
Anton Wood
Name
Anton Wood
Age at time of killing(s)
11 years
Date of killing(s)
November 1892
Location
Denver, Colorado, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Wood shot Joseph Smith. He was charged with second-degree murder and sentenced to either 25 years of hard labor or life in prison.
Nellie Cornelison
Nellie Cornelison
Name
Nellie Cornelison
Age at time of killing(s)
11 years
Date of killing(s)
January 15, 1902
Location
Wichita, Kansas, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Cornelison slit the throat of her sister Laura Cornelison. She was not charged due to her age.
Nathaniel Jamar Abraham
Nathaniel Jamar Abraham
Name
Nathaniel Jamar Abraham
Age at time of killing(s)
11 years, 9 months, 10 days
Date of killing(s)
October 29, 1997
Location
Pontiac, Michigan, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Abraham shot an 18-year-old man. He was tried as an adult and convicted of second-degree murder.
Andrew Golden
Andrew Golden
Name
Andrew Golden
Age at time of killing(s)
11 years, 9 months, 27 days
Date of killing(s)
March 24, 1998
Location
Jonesboro, Arkansas, United States
Killed
5
Injured
10
Note(s) and citation(s)
Golden, alongside 13-year-old Mitchell Johnson, shot one of their teachers and four of their classmates at Westside Middle School. They were both imprisoned until the age of 21, with Golden serving 9 years and 2 months.
Unnamed girl
Unnamed girl
Name
Unnamed girl
Age at time of killing(s)
11 years
Date of killing(s)
June 1, 2004
Location
Sasebo, Japan
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
She killed her 12-year-old classmate Satomi Mitari at Okubo Elementary School. She was not charged, instead being institutionalized in a reformatory.
José Ángel Ramos Betts
José Ángel Ramos Betts
Name
José Ángel Ramos Betts
Age at time of killing(s)
11 years
Date of killing(s)
January 10, 2020
Location
Torreón, Mexico
Killed
1
Injured
6
Note(s) and citation(s)
An 11 year old student opened fire at the facilities of Colegio Cervantes Campus Bosque killing 1 and injuring 6 before turning the gun on himself.
Clayton Dietz
Clayton Dietz
Name
Clayton Dietz
Age at time of killing(s)
11 years
Date of killing(s)
January 13, 2026
Location
Perry, Pennsylvania, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
An 11-year-old boy accused of shooting his stepfather on his birthday.
Unnamed boy
Unnamed boy
Name
Unnamed boy
Age at time of killing(s)
11 years
Date of killing(s)
September 15, 2016
Location
Changde, China
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Suspect Xiong strangled Beibei to death following a physical altercation triggered by an argument while playing.
Unnamed girl
Unnamed girl
Name
Unnamed girl
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years
Date of killing(s)
January 2023
Location
Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Stabbed her nine-year-old brother to death.
Nathan Daniel Faris
Nathan Daniel Faris
Name
Nathan Daniel Faris
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years
Date of killing(s)
March 2, 1987
Location
De Kalb, Missouri, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Faris shot his 13-year-old classmate Timothy Perrin at De Kalb High School. He then committed suicide.
Unnamed boy
Unnamed boy
Name
Unnamed boy
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years
Date of killing(s)
January 2000
Location
Bristol, England, United Kingdom
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
He stabbed his six-month-old brother, cutting off his left hand. He was charged with manslaughter but found unfit to stand trial.
Piedad Martínez del Águila
Piedad Martínez del Águila
Name
Piedad Martínez del Águila
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years
Date of killing(s)
December 4, 1965 – January 4, 1966
Location
Murcia, Spain
Killed
4
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Piedad Martínez del Águila poisoned four of her siblings.
Mary Maher
Mary Maher
Name
Mary Maher
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years
Date of killing(s)
August 21 – September 8, 1906
Location
Dunkitt, County Kilkenny, Ireland
Killed
3
Injured
1
Note(s) and citation(s)
Maher poisoned her three sisters. She then committed suicide.
Jose Reyes
Jose Reyes
Name
Jose Reyes
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years, 3 months, 19 days
Date of killing(s)
October 21, 2013
Location
Sparks, Nevada, United States
Killed
1
Injured
2
Note(s) and citation(s)
Reyes shot one of his classmates and one of his teachers at Sparks Middle School. He then committed suicide.
Lionel Tate
Lionel Tate
Name
Lionel Tate
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years, 5 months, 28 days
Date of killing(s)
July 28, 1999
Location
Broward County, Florida, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Tate battered his six-year-old cousin Tiffany Eunick to death. He was charged with first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. The sentence was later reduced to one year of house arrest and 10 years of probation. As an adult he was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment for armed robbery.
Kristen Pittman
Kristen Pittman
Name
Kristen Pittman
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years, 7 months, 19 days
Date of killing(s)
November 28, 2001
Location
Chester, South Carolina, United States
Killed
2
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Pittman shot her grandparents. She was tried as an adult and sentenced to 30 years in prison. Her sentence was later reduced by five years.
Hannah Ocuish
Hannah Ocuish
Name
Hannah Ocuish
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years, 9 months
Date of killing(s)
July 21, 1786
Location
New London, Connecticut, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Ocuish's guilt is disputed. She was hanged for the murder of six-year-old Eunice Bolles.
Evan Savoie
Evan Savoie
Name
Evan Savoie
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years, 3 months, 24 days
Date of killing(s)
February 15, 2003
Location
Ephrata, Washington, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Savoie and Eakin stabbed and beat their 13-year-old friend Craig Sorger to death. Savoie was convicted of first-degree murder and Eakin was convicted of second-degree murder. Both Savoie and Eakin have since been released.
Jake Eakin
Jake Eakin
Name
Jake Eakin
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years, 3 months, 1 day
Jasmine Richardson
Jasmine Richardson
Name
Jasmine Richardson
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years, 6 months, 2 days
Date of killing(s)
April 23, 2006
Location
Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
Killed
3
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Richardson and her 23-year-old boyfriend Jeremy Steinke stabbed three of her family members. Richardson was charged with first-degree murder. In 2020 her criminal record was expunged.
Unnamed boy
Unnamed boy
Name
Unnamed boy
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years
Date of killing(s)
December 2, 2018
Location
Yuanjiang, China
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
He stabbed his mother. He was not charged due to his age.
Unnamed boy
Unnamed boy
Name
Unnamed boy
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years
Date of killing(s)
April 13, 2012
Location
Hengyang, China
Killed
3
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
A 12-year-old boy killed three members of his aunt's family with a fruit knife.
Unnamed boy
Unnamed boy
Name
Unnamed boy
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years
Date of killing(s)
December 19, 2016
Location
Huichang, China
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
A 12-year-old boy stabbed a classmate.
Unnamed boy
Unnamed boy
Name
Unnamed boy
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years
Date of killing(s)
January 21, 2013
Location
Dorval, Quebec, Canada
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
The boy shot and killed his brother. He was sentenced to two years' probation.
Curtis Jones
Curtis Jones
Name
Curtis Jones
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years, 1 month and 6 days
Date of killing(s)
January 6, 1999
Location
Port St. John, Florida, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Jones and his 13-year-old sister Catherine Jones were charged with second-degree murder. They were both sentenced to 17 years in prison.
Unnamed boy
Unnamed boy
Name
Unnamed boy
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years
Date of killing(s)
September 29, 2019
Location
São Paulo, Brazil
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
He was sentenced to three years in prison.
Alex King
Alex King
Name
Alex King
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years
Date of killing(s)
November 26, 2001
Location
Cantonment, Florida, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
King and his 13-year-old brother Derek King killed their father. Alex served six years of his eight-year sentence.
Danny Preddie
Danny Preddie
Name
Danny Preddie
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years
Date of killing(s)
November 27, 2000
Location
London, United Kingdom
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Preddie and his 13-year-old brother Ricky Preddie attacked 10-year-old Damilola Taylor with a glass bottle. Danny was sentenced to eight years in prison, but served four additional years for violating his parole.
Unnamed girl
Unnamed girl
Name
Unnamed girl
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years
Date of killing(s)
July 15, 2024
Location
Humboldt, Tennessee, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
She smothered her eight-year-old cousin. She was charged with murder and tampering with evidence.
Unnamed boy
Unnamed boy
Name
Unnamed boy
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years
Date of killing(s)
October 18, 2019
Location
Curitiba, Brazil
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
He stabbed an elderly woman and was temporarily detained for 45 days.
Howard Lang
Howard Lang
Name
Howard Lang
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years
Date of killing(s)
November 18, 1947
Location
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Lang killed seven-year-old Lonnie Fellick. He was sentenced to 22 years in prison. His sentence was later overturned due to his age. This case was cited in Frederic Wertham's Seduction of the Innocent.
Edwin Carl Debrow Jr.
Edwin Carl Debrow Jr.
Name
Edwin Carl Debrow Jr.
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years
Date of killing(s)
September 21, 1991
Location
San Antonio, Texas, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Debrow shot a man. He was sentenced to 27 years in prison and released in 2019.
Bailey Kurariki
Bailey Kurariki
Name
Bailey Kurariki
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years, 3 months, 28 days
Date of killing(s)
September 12, 2001
Location
Papakura, New Zealand
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Kurariki killed 40-year-old Michael Choy alongside seven accomplices. He was charged with manslaughter and released on parole in 2008. In 2011, he was sentenced to 14 months in prison for assault and domestic violence.
Jonah Louis Iverson
Jonah Louis Iverson
Name
Jonah Louis Iverson
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years
Date of killing(s)
August 29, 1995
Location
Laredo, Texas, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Iverson shot his 12-year-old classmate Lizzy Rivera at Memorial Middle School. He served ten years, firstly in a Texas Youth Commission facility and then in a state prison.
Unnamed boy
Unnamed boy
Name
Unnamed boy
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years
Date of killing(s)
April 2, 2024
Location
Vantaa, Finland
Killed
1
Injured
2
Note(s) and citation(s)
He shot three of his classmates with a revolver, killing one.
Cristian Fernandez
Cristian Fernandez
Name
Cristian Fernandez
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years, 2 months
Date of killing(s)
March 12, 2011
Location
Jacksonville, Florida, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Fernandez beat his 2-year-old half-brother David Galarraga to death. He was convicted of manslaughter and released one day after his nineteenth birthday in 2018.
Sharon Carr
Sharon Carr
Name
Sharon Carr
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years, 5 months, 17 days
Date of killing(s)
June 7, 1992
Location
Camberley, England, United Kingdom
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Carr stabbed 18-year-old Katie Rackliff in a random attack. She was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum tariff of 14 years and is still in custody.
Unnamed boy
Unnamed boy
Name
Unnamed boy
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years
Date of killing(s)
June 17, 2002
Location
Wissous, France
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
A man and his son confronted security guard Maurice Jean-Joseph and attacked him for allegedly harassing the son's sister. After the man struck Jean-Joseph, the boy fatally stabbed him. The boy was unable to be charged due to his age.
Isiah Fowler
Isiah Fowler
Name
Isiah Fowler
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years
Date of killing(s)
April 27, 2013
Location
Valley Springs, California, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Fowler stabbed his sister Leila to death at their home. He successfully appealed his murder conviction in 2018, but was again found guilty in a second trial. He was paroled in 2023.
Ayden Merrell
Ayden Merrell
Name
Ayden Merrell
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years
Date of killing(s)
February 2, 2017
Location
Fouke, Arkansas, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Merrell shot convenience store clerk Christa Shockley during a robbery. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 30 years.
Unnamed boy
Unnamed boy
Name
Unnamed boy
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years
Date of killing(s)
May 14, 2023
Location
Keene, Texas, United States
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
He shot and killed Sonic Drive-In employee Matthew Davis after an argument ensued between the boy's uncle and Davis. The boy was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while his aunt, who gave him a rifle and told him to shoot Davis, was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Unnamed boy
Unnamed boy
Name
Unnamed boy
Age at time of killing(s)
12 years
Date of killing(s)
November 13, 2023
Location
Wolverhampton, England, United Kingdom
Killed
1
Injured
0
Note(s) and citation(s)
Two boys stabbed 19-year-old Shawn Seesahai during a confrontation. Both were sentenced to be detained at His Majesty's pleasure.
Unnamed boy
Unnamed boy
Name
Unnamed boy
Kosta Kecmanoic
Kosta Kecmanoic
Name
Kosta Kecmanoic
Age at time of killing(s)
13 years
Date of killing(s)
May 13, 2023
Location
Serbia
Killed
10
Injured
6
Note(s) and citation(s)
Kosta killed 10 people and injured 6 people in Belgrade School Shooting
İsa Aras Mersenli
İsa Aras Mersenli
Name
İsa Aras Mersenli
Age at time of killing(s)
13 years
Date of killing(s)
April 15, 2026
Location
Turkey
Killed
10
Injured
12
Note(s) and citation(s)
İsa Aras Mersenli killed 10 people and injured 12 people in a Turkey School Shooting
| Name | Age at time of killing(s) | Date of killing(s) | Location | Killed | Injured | Note(s) and citation(s) |
| Carl Newton Mahan | 6 years | May 18, 1929 | Paintsville, Kentucky, United States | 1 | 0 | Mahan shot eight-year-old Cecil Van Hoose. He was sentenced to 15 years in a reformatory, but his sentence was later overturned. |
| Unnamed boy | 6 years | February 29, 2000 | Mount Morris Township, Michigan, United States | 1 | 0 | He shot his six-year-old classmate, Kayla Rolland, at Buell Elementary School. His uncle, the gun owner, was charged with involuntary manslaughter. |
| Lizzie Cook | 6 years | February 27, 1899 | Birmingham, Alabama, United States | 1 | 0 | Cook intentionally set her two-year-old brother's clothes on fire while she was babysitting. The fire burned through the fabric and he died. |
| Unnamed boy | 6 years | June 2, 1910 | Oslo, Norway | 1 | 0 | |
| Unnamed boy | 7 years | December 4, 2022 | Curacautín, Chile | 1 | 0 | He fatally shot a friend with an air rifle. He was not charged due to his age, although his parents, both policemen who had taught him how to use air guns, were convicted of negligent homicide and sentenced to 300 days' imprisonment. |
| Unnamed boy | 7 years | January 2022 | Smiley, Texas, United States | 1 | 0 | He shot 32-year-old Brandon Rasberry. He was not charged due to his age, but was instead sent to a psychiatric hospital. |
| Virginia Hudson | 7 years | July 23, 1887 | Butler Township, South Carolina, United States | 1 | 0 | Hudson beat a one-year-old child to death with a board. She was charged with murder. |
| Robert Robertson | 7 years, 6 months | June 1907 | Forest, Tasmania, Australia | 1 | 0 | Robertson beat his two-year-old brother with a piece of wood while he was babysitting. He was charged with murder, then put into state care. |
| Amarjeet Sada | 8 years | 2007 | Begusarai, India | 3 | 0 | He killed his eight-month-old sister, his nine-month-old cousin, and an unrelated six-month-old baby. He was not charged due to his age, but instead sent to a remand home in Munger. |
| Unnamed girl | 8 years | July 4, 1867 | Cassville, Missouri, United States | 1 | 0 | She killed her four-year-old brother and was declared insane. |
| Unnamed boy | 8 years | February 7, 2014 | Padre Hurtado, Chile | 1 | 0 | He stabbed his seven-year-old cousin. He was not charged due to his age. |
| Patrick Knowles | 8 years | May 1903 | Stockton-on-Tees, England, United Kingdom | 1 | 2 | Knowles buried one-year-old Frederick Hughes, who died of suffocation. Knowles also attempted to drown one-year-old Fanny Lynas, as well as burying another child. He served nine years in prison under His Majesty's pleasure. |
| Unnamed boy | 8 years, 10 months | November 5, 2008 | St. Johns, Arizona, United States | 2 | 0 | He shot his 29-year-old father, Vincent Romero, and his father's coworker. He was arrested and pled guilty to negligent homicide. He was sentenced to an indefinite stay at a youth treatment center near Phoenix. He later moved to a group home and then a foster home. |
| Carroll Cole | 8 years | 1947 | Richmond, California, United States | 1 | 0 | Cole drowned an eight-year-old boy. The murder was initially ruled an accident until he confessed in adulthood after killing five women. He was executed by lethal injection on December 6, 1985. |
| Mary Cooper | 9 years | 1885 | Scottsville, Virginia, United States | 1 | 0 | Cooper hung and beat her seven-year-old cousin Melville Barrett. |
| Unnamed boy | 9 years | May 6, 2019 | Fawn River Township, Michigan, United States | 1 | 0 | He shot his 51-year-old adoptive mother. |
| Cayetano Santos Godino | 9 years, 4 months, 29 days – 16 years, 1 month, 3 days | March 29, 1906 – December 3, 1912 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 4 | 0 | The first murder was not discovered until Santos Godino later confessed. He was arrested several times. |
| Unnamed boy | 10 years | September 2022 | Haicheng Township, China | 1 | 0 | He strangled his grandmother to death on video after she slapped him. |
| Noah Q. Mann-Tate | 10 years | November 21, 2022 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States | 1 | 0 | He shot and killed his mother. |
| Unnamed girl (referred to as "A. F.") | 10 years | October 30, 2018 | Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, United States | 1 | 0 | Killed six-month-old Jaxon Hunter. Her case was moved to juvenile court in 2019. |
| William York | 10 years | May 13, 1748 | Eyke, England, United Kingdom | 1 | 0 | York attacked five-year-old Susan Matthew with a knife, killing her. He was sentenced to death, but later pardoned. |
| Hubbard Harrell | 10 years | February 3, 1888 | Savannah, Georgia, United States | 3 | 0 | Harrell burned his six-year-old nephew and two unrelated children with boiling water. |
| James Osmanson | 10 years | April 12, 1994 | Butte, Montana, United States | 1 | 0 | Osmanson shot his 11-year-old classmate Jeremy Bullock at Margaret Leary Elementary School. He was sent to a residential treatment facility. |
| Joseph McVay | 10 years | January 2, 2011 | Big Prairie, Ohio, United States | 1 | 0 | McVay shot his 46-year-old mother Deborah McVay. He was charged with "delinquency by virtue of committing murder." He was sentenced to a juvenile detention center, then a residential treatment facility. |
| Unnamed girl | 10 years | September 18, 2010 | Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States | 1 | 0 | She beat two-year-old Zyda White, who she was babysitting. White fell unconscious and later died. |
| Jane Walker | 10 years | 1886 | Aiken County, South Carolina, United States | 1 | 0 | Walker poisoned the younger relative she was babysitting. She was charged with murder. |
| James Arcene | 10 years | 1872 | Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, United States | 1 | 0 | Arcene, alongside a man named William Parchmeal, shot and beat William Feigel. Arcene was convicted of robbery and murder, then executed. |
| Robert Thompson | 10 years, 5 months, 20 days | February 12, 1993 | Liverpool, England, United Kingdom | 1 | 0 | Thompson and Venables abducted two-year-old James Bulger from a shopping center in Bootle. They tortured Bulger before laying him across railway tracks, where he was hit by a train. They both spent eight years in a young offenders' institution. In 2017, Venables was re-incarcerated for possessing Child pornography. |
| Jon Venables | 10 years, 5 months, 30 days | |||||
| Unnamed boy | 10 years | August 21, 2013 | Broadview, Saskatchewan, Canada | 1 | 0 | He beat six-year-old Lee Bonneau to death. He was not charged due to his age. |
| Joseph Hall | 10 years, 10 months, 12 days | May 1, 2011 | Riverside, California, United States | 1 | 0 | Hall shot his 32-year-old father, neo-Nazi leader Jeff Hall. He was sentenced to juvenile detention until the age of 23. His stepmother Krista McCary was charged with criminal storage of firearms and child neglect. |
| Mary Bell | 10 years, 11 months, 30 days – 11 years, 1 month, 7 days | May 25, 1968 – July 31, 1968 | Newcastle upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom | 2 | 0 | Bell strangled four-year-old Martin Brown and three-year-old Brian Howe, killing them both. She served 12 years in prison under Her Majesty's pleasure. |
| Anton Wood | 11 years | November 1892 | Denver, Colorado, United States | 1 | 0 | Wood shot Joseph Smith. He was charged with second-degree murder and sentenced to either 25 years of hard labor or life in prison. |
| Nellie Cornelison | 11 years | January 15, 1902 | Wichita, Kansas, United States | 1 | 0 | Cornelison slit the throat of her sister Laura Cornelison. She was not charged due to her age. |
| Nathaniel Jamar Abraham | 11 years, 9 months, 10 days | October 29, 1997 | Pontiac, Michigan, United States | 1 | 0 | Abraham shot an 18-year-old man. He was tried as an adult and convicted of second-degree murder. |
| Andrew Golden | 11 years, 9 months, 27 days | March 24, 1998 | Jonesboro, Arkansas, United States | 5 | 10 | Golden, alongside 13-year-old Mitchell Johnson, shot one of their teachers and four of their classmates at Westside Middle School. They were both imprisoned until the age of 21, with Golden serving 9 years and 2 months. |
| Unnamed girl | 11 years | June 1, 2004 | Sasebo, Japan | 1 | 0 | She killed her 12-year-old classmate Satomi Mitari at Okubo Elementary School. She was not charged, instead being institutionalized in a reformatory. |
| José Ángel Ramos Betts | 11 years | January 10, 2020 | Torreón, Mexico | 1 | 6 | An 11 year old student opened fire at the facilities of Colegio Cervantes Campus Bosque killing 1 and injuring 6 before turning the gun on himself. |
| Clayton Dietz | 11 years | January 13, 2026 | Perry, Pennsylvania, United States | 1 | 0 | An 11-year-old boy accused of shooting his stepfather on his birthday. |
| Unnamed boy | 11 years | September 15, 2016 | Changde, China | 1 | 0 | Suspect Xiong strangled Beibei to death following a physical altercation triggered by an argument while playing. |
| Unnamed girl | 12 years | January 2023 | Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States | 1 | 0 | Stabbed her nine-year-old brother to death. |
| Nathan Daniel Faris | 12 years | March 2, 1987 | De Kalb, Missouri, United States | 1 | 0 | Faris shot his 13-year-old classmate Timothy Perrin at De Kalb High School. He then committed suicide. |
| Unnamed boy | 12 years | January 2000 | Bristol, England, United Kingdom | 1 | 0 | He stabbed his six-month-old brother, cutting off his left hand. He was charged with manslaughter but found unfit to stand trial. |
| Piedad Martínez del Águila | 12 years | December 4, 1965 – January 4, 1966 | Murcia, Spain | 4 | 0 | Piedad Martínez del Águila poisoned four of her siblings. |
| Mary Maher | 12 years | August 21 – September 8, 1906 | Dunkitt, County Kilkenny, Ireland | 3 | 1 | Maher poisoned her three sisters. She then committed suicide. |
| Jose Reyes | 12 years, 3 months, 19 days | October 21, 2013 | Sparks, Nevada, United States | 1 | 2 | Reyes shot one of his classmates and one of his teachers at Sparks Middle School. He then committed suicide. |
| Lionel Tate | 12 years, 5 months, 28 days | July 28, 1999 | Broward County, Florida, United States | 1 | 0 | Tate battered his six-year-old cousin Tiffany Eunick to death. He was charged with first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. The sentence was later reduced to one year of house arrest and 10 years of probation. As an adult he was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment for armed robbery. |
| Kristen Pittman | 12 years, 7 months, 19 days | November 28, 2001 | Chester, South Carolina, United States | 2 | 0 | Pittman shot her grandparents. She was tried as an adult and sentenced to 30 years in prison. Her sentence was later reduced by five years. |
| Hannah Ocuish | 12 years, 9 months | July 21, 1786 | New London, Connecticut, United States | 1 | 0 | Ocuish's guilt is disputed. She was hanged for the murder of six-year-old Eunice Bolles. |
References
- "¿Puede un niño de 10 años asesinar a sangre fría?"https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-50809156
- Court TVhttps://www.courttv.com/news/wisconsin-10-year-old-charged-as-adult-in-moms-death-appears-in-court/
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/1929/05/27/archives/kentucky-boy-silent-on-killing-playmate-father-says-mahan-lad-spoke.html
- Messenger-Inquirerhttps://www.newspapers.com/article/messenger-inquirer-carl-mahan/28547146/?locale=en-US
- Sedalia Weekly Democrathttps://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0mtYXwD-8_I/VksrcuJxzVI/AAAAAAAAe4M/DLxYRHA-pnA/s1600/cook-clip-mar3-1899-swd.PNG
- Morgenbladet
- Teletrecehttps://www.t13.cl/videos/nacional/lo-llamaban-comandito-junior-carabineros-ensenaron-su-hijo-disparar-7-anos-26-7-2024
- KENS 5https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/10-year-old-murder-child-gonzales-county/273-ef3e7a31-8bd0-4c7f-baee-1bcc84fc15a1
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/1887/07/26/archives/a-very-young-murderess.html
- The Kalgoorlie Minerhttps://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/90427550
- The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/jun/01/india.randeepramesh
- The Evening Starhttps://3.bp.blogspot.com/-El0155qR78U/VkTBsOBs8FI/AAAAAAAAexA/BfoR4zpiUdI/s1600/martin-clip-jul29-1867-wes.PNG
- SoyChilehttps://www.soychile.cl/Santiago/Policial/2014/02/08/230065/Un-nino-de-ocho-anos-mato-a-su-primo-de-siete-pelearon-por-un-juego-de-computador.aspx
- The Spectatorhttps://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/13th-june-1903/10/the-child-criminal
- TeessideLivehttps://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/horrific-murder-baby-buried-alive-16252404
- The National Archiveshttps://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7669430
- KOLD News 13https://www.kold.com/story/9320428/8-year-old-charged-with-two-counts-of-first-degree-murder/
- The Arizona Republichttps://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2017/12/26/st-johns-boy-killed-his-father-when-he-8-probation-ends/981696001/
- The Fairfield News and Heraldhttps://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jsGRHxIesN0/WtyVKJ9JegI/AAAAAAAAlnE/POqlGar4BJImAdg8__BT4tWz50TpjUaowCLcBGAs/s1600/cooper-apr1-1885-fnh.bmp
- Inside Editionhttps://www.insideedition.com/mom-feared-9-year-old-son-who-shot-her-death-would-become-serial-killer-daughter-says-52887