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Andrew Bryant Lambert, 11, died on Feb. 3 after police say he was shot by a 13-year-old Brookneal boy.
A criminal charge against a 13-year-old Brookneal boy police say is responsible for the Feb. 3 slaying of an 11-year-old has been upgraded to murder, Commonwealth’s Attorney Neil Vener said Thursday.
The 13-year-old had been charged with involuntary manslaughter, Vener said.
“That charge will eventually be incorporated into the murder charge because it is a lesser included offense,” he said.
Campbell County Sheriff’s Office officials initially called the incident “horseplay,” in which the older boy pointed a hunting rifle at the victim, Andrew Bryant Lambert.
The third time he pointed the gun, he cocked the rifle and pulled the trigger, killing the boy on Gilliam Road in Brookneal.
“He told me he thought the gun was unloaded,” Investigator Mike Milnor said in an earlier interview.
Thursday, though, a day after a detention hearing for the 13-year-old in Campbell County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, Milnor said new evidence has come to light.
The investigator said the information came from witnesses who were re-interviewed about the incident. He declined to say what that evidence is.
Milnor said the 13-year-old also has been charged with burglary in an incident that happened before the shooting.
Vener said he was limited in disclosing more information about the case because of the boy’s age.
In Virginia, proceedings are sometimes made public when juveniles age 14 and older are charged with felonies.
Reader Reactions
It’s so disgusting to hear people like yourself immediate go to it’s just a Child Defense. In today’s world children know exactly what is going on and exactly how their actions will result in. It really shows just how out of touch grown adults are with the youth to think they aren’t aware of so much more than any generation before them. I am not that far into adulthood either so I can also tell you I knew I could get away with anything when I was a kid, and I wasn’t scared at all the first time I got in trouble with the police when I was a kid because of just that I am a kid and nothing will happen when I go to court, and guess what nothing did. It’s people like yourself that promote child violence and criminal activity, by playing the it’s just a child card for them. The WSET story had more information that when the police arrived that the one that KILLED the other boy was sitting there playing a hunting video game, seems like he was really upset he had just KILLED his friend. Also where did this stealing charge come from, who are this kids parents?! However we agree on one thing and that is children should not have access to guns by their red neck daddies that wants junior to go out there and shoot them there animals.
This whole thing is such a sad ordeal. For both families my heart and prayers go out to you. Both much be in tremendous pain and grief. This is the reason children should not be allowed to have access to guns. Even though they may very well understand that they kill, they are still children, with a child’s sense of reasoning. A 13 year old child has no business with a gun. And I am sure most of the time this young man was careful. But, left alone, children will always do the unexpected. I pray that the young boy didn’t really intend to kill his friend. Some will say, he pointed the gun at him and pulled the trigger, but again I say, a child’s sense of reasoning. Take guns from our children’s hands. Both these boys life is gone. So tragic. This should never have happened to either child. And we should also remember the boy with the gun, IS JUST A CHILD. Would I say that if it were my son that was buried? I would hope so. And I would hope I would accept some of the blame also, I should have never allowed my 11 year old son, to go hunting, with another child, and no adults, with a gun. Anything could and did happen. The worst happened. The the parents I say, God bless you and keep you strong in the troubled times.
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