DES MOINES, Iowa — Des Moines police say a deadly shooting early Saturday morning "appears to be accidental."
18-year-old Thomas Londewa Ivy was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter and with carrying weapons following the shooting death of 16-year-old Elijah Edwardless Brown-Townsend.
Both are Des Moines residents.
Around 4:40 a.m. Saturday, Des Moines police were called to Broadlawns Medical Center. According to police, when patrol officers arrived, they learned a Brown-Townsend was being treated in the emergency room after suffering from a gunshot wound.
Hospital staff tried to save his life, but were unsuccessful.
Police say Brown-Townsend and Ivy were sitting together in a car in the parking lot of a convenience store in the 2300 block of MLK Jr. Parkway when the gun accidentally went off.
Ivy allegedly handed the gun to Brown-Townsend when it went off. The gun was recovered by police and upon further investigation, a second gun was found.
This is the second homicide in Des Moines this year.