On the morning of December 8, 2018, 15-year-old Zachary Zach Mulford was fatally shot inside a residence on North Liberty Street in New Castle, Pennsylvania. Zach, a sophomore at Agora Cyber Charter School, had arrived with a friend at about 1:36 a.m. and was admitted by 19-year-old Kyle Harris, who was holding a gun.

Authorities say Harris attempted to make the firearm safe by removing the magazine and clearing the chamber; during that process the weapon discharged and a single bullet struck Zach. A friend on scene performed CPR but Zach was pronounced dead at the house. Harris fled briefly, then turned himself in, gave a statement consistent with a witness account, and led police to the discarded gun, which had been reported stolen.

Lawrence County charged Harris with involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, and receiving stolen property. Zach’s family remembered him as a robotics enthusiast who hoped to study the field in college and as a brother to six siblings.

If anyone was at or near the house that night or has information about the stolen gun, please come forward.