Diaspora News of Thursday, 2 February 2006

Source: kwalker@potomacnews.com

Teen dies from gunshot wound

Jeffery K. Brown, the 18-year-old Potomac Senior High School student who was the victim of an accidental shooting Saturday night, died early Tuesday morning, said Officer John Bogert, Prince William County Police Department spokesman.

A few students at Potomac Senior High School waited for rides home Tuesday afternoon after police released the news of Brown?s death.

Keith Booker once had a Spanish class with Brown.

Booker, 16, said Brown was a ?good kid.?

?Everybody liked him,? Booker said.

Police received a call of a shooting in the 16900 block of Tom?s River Loop at 9:58 p.m. Saturday, Bogert said.

During the investigation, policed determined that Augustus Kwadwo Apau-Boateng of 16958 Tom?s River Loop had been showing a handgun to Brown when the gun went off and shot the 18-year-old, Bogert said.

The investigation also revealed that the handgun had been reported stolen, Bogert said.

Boateng, 19, was initially charged with possession of a stolen handgun.

After Brown died, police charged Boateng with manslaughter and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, Bogert said.

Boateng is being held without bond, Bogert said.

Boateng is scheduled to appear in court March 3.

A neighbor who lives in the 16900 block of Tom?s River Loop was at home Saturday night and saw the police, K-9 units, a helicopter and rescue vehicles arrive after the shooting.

The neighbor, who withheld his name, described the house where Brown was shot as a ?rowdy, party house.?

?It looked like they were subleasing rooms in the house and people were always coming and going,? said the 35-year-old neighbor.

?I couldn?t tell you who actually lived there, except for one person,? the man said.

The neighbor said the people who lived at or frequented the house kept to themselves.

Prince William Country Public Schools spokeswoman Irene Cromer said counseling would be available to students at Potomac Senior High School.