Teen, 17, dead in apparent accidental shooting in Arlington

A 16-year-old boy fatally shot his 17-year-old friend in the face early Thursday as they played with a stolen gun, police said.

After he was questioned by detectives, the teen was turned over to juvenile authorities and faces the juvenile equivalent of a charge of criminally negligent homicide, said Sgt. Jeffrey Houston, an Arlington police spokesman.

The 17-year-old was visiting his friend’s house in the 1200 block of Golden View Court when the shooting occurred shortly after midnight.

“The 16-year-old accidentally shot the 17-year-old,” Houston said.

The older teen was pronounced dead at the scene. He had not been identified by the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office late Thursday, but his father told Star-Telegram media partner WFAA that his adopted son’s name is Evan Roselle.

Michael Roselle said that he and his wife adopted the boy when he was 2 weeks old. He said Evan was their only son.

Houston said detectives were trying to learn how the teens got the gun, reported stolen in November.

The 16-year-old lived with his grandparents, who were at home but not with the teens, Houston said.

Roselle told WFAA that he had instructed his son not to go to the house.

Abby Cloud, a Mansfield school district spokeswoman, said the 17-year-old victim was not enrolled as a student but had attended Summit High School for 10 days in the spring. She did not know the reason he left.

This story was originally published December 4, 2014 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Teen, 17, dead in apparent accidental shooting in Arlington."