London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 16, 2026

A 13-Year-Old Will Be Tried As An Adult For Shooting And Killing His Brother While Playing Cops And Robbers

The boy has been charged with first-degree murder and second-degree aggravated assault, for playing as a real cop, but n his white brother (and that last bit what was actually so wrong in their eyes, probably).
A 13-year-old boy in Pennsylvania will be tried as an adult for fatally shooting his 9-year-old brother in the head, according to online court dockets.

Brayden Leroy Wright of Waynesboro was charged Wednesday with first-degree criminal homicide and second-degree aggravated assault. He was denied bail.

According to a state police arrest affidavit obtained by the Patriot-News, Brayden shot his brother as they were playing cops and robbers at approximately 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday.

The 13-year-old told arresting officer Erica Polcha that he retrieved one of the two loaded 9mm handguns that their father kept in the living room couch to use during the game. The boys' father, Mark Snyder, later told police that he kept the guns loaded and unsecured "for home protection."

Polcha said that Brayden told her he became angry when his brother "was not complying with his commands" in the game. Brayden then reportedly put the muzzle of the gun to the back of his sibling's head as he lay on the couch watching YouTube videos.

According to the affidavit, Brayden told police that he was aware the gun was loaded when he pointed it at his brother's head and pulled the trigger. The bullet, investigators said, went through the 9-year-old boy's skull and out the other side of his head.

According to the affidavit, after shooting his brother, Brayden put the gun back in the couch and called 911 to report a fall.

By the time EMTs arrived at the house, the 9-year-old was bleeding and in cardiac arrest. He was taken to the Waynesboro Hospital but died later on Wednesday as a result of his injuries.

On Thursday, a woman identifying herself as a family member set up a GoFundMe to help the family cover legal fees and funeral expenses, as well as counseling for the boys' three sisters.

The 9-year-old boy has not been officially identified by officials, but family members have shared photos of him on social media and GoFundMe.

"Yesterday forever changed all our lives," the campaign's organizer Kelly Gonzales wrote on the fundraiser website. "We not only lost a 9 yr old precious little boy, but we could potentially loose [sic] his 13yr old brother."

The older brother is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Monday, July 13.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Police Tighten Public-Order Measures After Anti-Immigration Protests in Dover and Portsmouth
UK Ministers Pressed for Answers After US Diplomat Accused of Child Abuse Images Leaves Britain
Jaguar Land Rover Pursues NATO Defense Contracts for Defender Vehicles
British Service Member Dies in Road Accident While Deployed in Ukraine
George Osborne Calls for Britain to Rejoin EU Customs Union
Anthropic Chief Dario Amodei Urges Faster UK Action on Advanced AI Risks
UK State Pension Set for 3.9% Rise Under Triple Lock
UK Labour Market Cools as Payrolled Employment Continues to Decline
Reform UK’s £72 Million in Donations Faces Scrutiny Under Proposed Retrospective Funding Rules
UK Doctors Warn Expanded Pharmacy First Scheme Could Put Patients at Risk
British Airlines Cut Short-Haul Capacity as Jet Fuel Costs Rise
UK News Publishers Forecast 40% Search Traffic Drop as AI Overviews Expand
Axel Springer Wins Approval for £575 Million Daily Telegraph Acquisition
London Mayor Sadiq Khan Opposes Heathrow Third Runway Over Climate Targets
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Leaders Hold Summit Seeking Greater Autonomy
UK Energy Price Cap Set to Rise to £1,723 in October
UK Treasury Warns Middle East Conflict Is Threatening Economic Growth
Labour Moves to Retrospectively Cap Overseas Political Donations After Reform UK Funding Surge
HMRC Warns Nearly Seven Million Adults Are Unclear About State Pension Entitlements
UK Parliament Passes Sovereign Grant Reform Before Conference Recess
British Rail Passengers Gain Automatic Right to Switch Operators During Disruptions
Burnham Hosts Downing Street Business Summit as UK Fiscal Pressure Builds
Labour Government Moves to Challenge £72 Million in Reform UK Crypto Donations
UK Advertising Industry Warns Wider Junk Food Rules Could Put £1 Billion in Media Spending at Risk
Cornwall Opens Devolution Talks With UK Government Over Transport and Local Services
UK Parliament Considers Sovereign Grant Reform Setting Royal Funding at £99.9 Million
Trades Union Congress Calls for Income-Based Energy Tariff Funded by Higher Bank Levy
UK Prime Minister Rejects Second Scottish Independence Referendum
House of Lords Begins Scrutiny of Bill to Lower UK Voting Age to 16
Anthropic Says Claude Was Exploited in Weapons-Related and State-Linked Cyber Activity
Institute of Directors Urges UK Government to Avoid Business Tax Increases in Autumn Budget
Rising Gilt Yields Cut UK Fiscal Headroom to About £13 Billion Ahead of Budget
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as Services and Technology Activity Strengthen
UK Government Promises Clearer Student Loan Guidance After Repayment Backlash
Charities Warn Unpaid Carers May Die Before Receiving Government Compensation
Dover Unrest Prompts Review of UK Counter-Extremism Strategy
Celtic Summit Leaders Reassert Right to Pursue Independence From UK
NHS Records Busiest Summer on Record Amid Severe Heatwaves
Harrods Faces Potential £150 Million Compensation Bill Over Al Fayed Abuse Claims
UK Parliament Opens Debate on Landmark Assisted Dying Legislation
Metropolitan Police Investigate Reform UK Over Alleged Foreign Electoral Donations
UK Economy Expands 0.4% in July as AI Investment Boosts Activity
Bank of England Signals Caution on Rates as Inflation Pressures Persist
Tesco Alerts Police After Scammers Use Its Branding in AI-Generated Fraud
Lindy Cameron Appointed First Female Permanent Under-Secretary at UK Foreign Office
UK Government to Rewrite Student Loan Guidance After Mis-Selling Criticism
Welsh First Minister Warns Andy Burnham Government to Respect Devolution
Trump’s Falkland Islands Remarks Trigger New Diplomatic Tension With Britain
Reform UK Receives Record £72 Million Donation From Cryptocurrency Billionaires
UK Bans Imports From Israeli West Bank Settlements and Sanctions Supporting Institutions
×