A 16-year-old Pennsylvania boy has been charged with murder after police say he called a friend on Instagram, showed a video of the victim covered in blood and asked for help disposing the body.
Joshua Cooper was arrested Friday evening at his home in the Top of the Ridge Trailer Park in Bensalem, about 28 miles northeast of Philadelphia.
Police responded to the home after receiving a 911 call from a woman who told dispatchers that her daughter received a disturbing video call from Cooper, who "stated that he had just killed someone."
According to Bensalem Police, Cooper "flipped the video image and showed the legs and feet of someone covered in blood. He then asked for assistance with disposal of the body."
As officers arrived at the home, Cooper ran out of the back of the trailer.
"When officers entered the mobile home, they observed a deceased juvenile female on the floor of the bathroom with an apparent gunshot wound," police said in a statement. "There were also indications that substantial steps were taken to clean up the crime scene."
A short time later, Cooper was located about a mile away from the home and taken into custody.
After being arrested, Cooper reportedly told police "it was an accident," according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. He also mentioned that he was "going to jail for the rest of [his] life," and that "[his] dad is going to kill [him]," the newspaper reported.
The girl's identity has not been released, but The Inquirer reported that she was 13-years-old and was identified by jewelry she was wearing at the time of her death.
William McVey, Bensalem's Director of Public Safety, told the Courier Times that there was not a clear motive for the shooting. He added that the victim, who was not related to Cooper, was shot once in the chest.
The suspected murder weapon was found inside the home. According to the Courier Times, Cooper told police he was cleaning out his father's safe and had removed firearms and ammunition from it before the girl came over to watch TV.
Cooper was charged as an adult with criminal homicide, possessing instruments of crime, and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence. He was denied bail and is currently being held at the Edison Juvenile Detention Center.
The incident remains under police investigation.
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