Shot Kills Boy; Drive-By Tale Proves False

A 12-year-old boy was shot and killed Tuesday by his former foster brother, who panicked and fabricated a story about a drive-by shooting to cover up his role in the killing, Compton police said.

Paul Davis was wounded in the chest about 4:45 p.m. as he stood in the 900 block of Van Ness Avenue with his 13-year-old former foster brother and a 14-year-old friend, Lt. Percy Perrodin said.

The boys told police that two men in a car drove up and shot Paul, but hours later they admitted that they had made up the story to protect themselves, Perrodin said.

“They both recanted and indicated that Paul was shot accidentally by the 13-year-old juvenile who was standing there along with him,” he said.

The handgun apparently belonged to one of the boy’s relatives. The 13-year-old, whose name was not released, had lived with Paul in a foster home, but the boys were not related.

“We haven’t decided whether it was accidental or voluntary manslaughter,” Detective John Swanson said. If the district attorney’s office decides that Paul died as a result of the other youth’s reckless act, a manslaughter charge could be filed, he said.