Echoes of Tamir Rice in Columbus, Ohio, today: a 13-year-old boy who police said had a BB gun was shot and killed by an officer late Wednesday evening.
Columbus police said officers responded to a report of an armed robbery involving multiple suspects and were told by the victim that a group of people had approached him and demanded money. The victim said one of them had a gun.
Down the block, officers spotted three males who matched the description of the alleged robbers, and two of them ran away when officers tried to speak with them, police said. Officers followed the pair into a nearby alley and tried to take them into custody, and one of the suspects pulled out a gun, police said. One officer fired, hitting the 13-year-old repeatedly.
That suspect, later identified as Tyree King, was taken to a children's hospital, where he died. The officers and the other male involved in the encounter weren't injured.
Police initially said King pulled the BB gun from his waistband and pointed it at the officers. The individual with King was questioned and released; they are continuing to look for suspects.
In other words, perhaps King had nothing to do with the robbery? It’s still early in the investigation and initial reports change as new information is added or deleted.