A 10-year-old boy from Texas admitted to shooting a man he did not know more than two years ago while the victim slept, authorities revealed. The incident occurred in January 2022 when Brandon O’Quinn Rasberry, 32, was shot in the head once while he slept at an RV park in Nixon, Texas. The boy, who was just days away from his 8th birthday at the time, will not face charges for the crime. The boy confessed to the shooting after a threat assessment was conducted on him at his school, where he had threatened another student with assault and murder. The boy described obtaining a pistol from his grandfather’s truck and using it to shoot Rasberry before returning the gun to the truck.
The boy detailed the events leading up to Rasberry’s death during an interview at a child advocacy center, providing information that was consistent with first-hand knowledge of the crime. He described entering Rasberry’s RV, shooting him in the head, firing into the couch, and then leaving the scene. The boy admitted that he had never met Rasberry and had no reason to be mad at him, indicating that the attack was unprovoked. Rasberry’s body was discovered after he failed to show up for work for two days, and the murder weapon was found at a pawn shop after the boy revealed that it had been pawned by his grandfather. The weapon was linked to the crime through forensic analysis of spent shell casings recovered from the scene.
Following the confession, the boy was placed in 72-hour emergency detention due to the severity of the crime and concerns for his mental well-being. He was taken to a psychiatric hospital in San Antonio for evaluation and treatment before being returned to Gonzales County. The boy was subsequently placed in juvenile detention on a charge of making a terroristic threat for the incident on the school bus. While the boy will not be charged with murder due to his age at the time of the crime, criminal culpability in Texas begins at age 10. Rasberry’s father expressed shock at the revelation, emphasizing the need for prayer, comfort, and forgiveness for the young boy.
Kenneth Rasberry, the father of the victim, shared his forgiveness and hope for the boy’s salvation, highlighting his youth and apparent torment. The boy reportedly worked at Holmes Foods in Nixon for about three months prior to Rasberry’s death. The case has sparked discussion around the criminal responsibility of young children and the importance of mental health support for individuals experiencing distress or trauma. The boy’s age at the time of the crime has shielded him from criminal charges, but the incident has raised awareness of the complexities surrounding juvenile criminal behavior and the need for early intervention and support services.
