Chester man charged with 14-year-old’s shooting death
CHESTER TOWNSHIP » A 20-year-old Chester man who allegedly accidentally shot a 14-year-old in the head last month has been charged with third-degree murder and related offenses, District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer announced Thursday.
“This case is a stark and tragic reminder of the consequences of acting irresponsibly with deadly weapons,” said Stollsteimer in a release. “One young boy has died, and another is facing a long prison sentence – two lives ruined, two families grief-stricken. All because a loaded weapon – an AR style rifle – was left lying around during a birthday celebration. This young person’s death simply should not have happened – and it would not have happened if the defendant had understood that a loaded gun is not a joke.”
David Cobb is also charged with criminal homicide, firearms not to be carried without a license and possession of a weapon in the Feb. 21 shooting death of 14-yearold Barry Mills, Jr.
Police responded to the 1900 block of Tolston Street for a report of a shooting and found Mills suffering from a gunshot wound to the head, according to the release. He was transported to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where he succumbed to his injuries. His death was later ruled a homicide.
Officers interviewed several witnesses that identified Cobb as the shooter, according to the release. One witness allegedly said he accompanied Mills to the shooting scene to wish a friend a happy birthday. The witness said Cobb started “joking around” and pointed the rifle at Mills, then said, “Give me your phone.”
The witness then heard a loud “boom” sound and heard Cobb say, “Oh my God! I didn’t mean to do it,” according to the release. A second witness said they heard Cobb on the phone shortly after the incident apologizing and saying that it was an accident, the release says.
Cobb turned himself in March 10 and is being held without bail at the county jail in Concord pending a March 25 preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Georgia L. Stone. No defense attorney is listed on court documents.
Stollsteimer expressed appreciation for the Chester Township Police Department’s work on this case, particularly Detective Patrick Mullen and Detective Sergeant Merritt Harman.
“This case is a stark and tragic reminder of the consequences of acting irresponsibly with deadly weapons.”
— District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer