October 02, 2026
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
Daniel Hawkins-Boyce, 13, is charged with third-degree murder for allegedly fatally shooting his friend, William Boyd, 16, in a Norristown home on Sept. 22.
A 13-year-old boy who fatally shot his 16-year-old friend inside a Norristown home while scrolling on TikTok has been charged with third-degree murder and related offenses, Montgomery County prosecutors say.
Daniel Hawkins-Boyce allegedly was tapping the handgun's trigger as he scrolled social media on Sept. 22, but prosecutors said he failed to check if the gun's chamber was clear before the gun discharged and struck William Boyd in the face, prosecutors said. The boy told police he had found the gun one week prior.
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Boyd had invited Hawkins-Boyce to come to his house with the gun he had found, police said. Hawkins-Boyce allegedly told investigators that he had inspected the weapon to ensure it did not contain any live rounds before he arrived.
At one point, the teens went out to purchase marijuana at a nearby store and returned home to smoke it, charging documents say. Hawkins-Boyce told investigators that he did not take the firearm to the store and that he again checked the gun for a live round before going into Boyd's basement to look at a mural.
Hawkins-Boyce told police that he left the gun unattended to use the bathroom and that he found it in a slightly different position when he returned, leading him to believe that Boyd had handled the weapon, charging documents say.
When police arrived at the scene after the shooting, Hawkins-Boyce told them he was responsible for shooting his friend, investigators said. The handgun had been reported stolen out of Philadelphia on June 3, charging documents say.
Hawkins-Boyce was arraigned Wednesday. He has been charged as an adult, but District Attorney Kevin Steele said the case could be moved to juvenile court.
"In these types of cases, we have to look at the totality of the circumstances, and in this case, the evidence clearly showed that the defendant recklessly fired the firearm at the victim, fatally striking him," Steele said in a statement. "Despite the child's age, Pennsylvania law requires us to charge the defendant in adult court, but we anticipate that the Court will review whether or not the case will remain in adult or move to juvenile court."
Hawkins-Boyce is being held at the Montgomery County Juvenile Detention Center. A preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 14.
