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Aaron John Klingensmith was arrested on May 2 in connection with the death of a girl he is accused of shooting in the head, Pennsylvania State Police explained and court records showed.
The unidentified girl was shot inside a home on Bearfield Road, Brady Township, in the Luthersburg/DuBois area of Clearfield County just before 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 28, PSP Trooper Vaughan Norbert detailed in the release.
PSP Troop C DuBois, Brady Township Volunteer Fire Rescue and Ambulance Company, Amserv Limited DuSan Ambulance, and STAT MedEvac confirmed the 911 call that the girl was shot in the head and they quickly worked to stabilize her. She was taken to Penn Highlands DuBois Hospital by the Brady Township Volunteer Fire Rescue and Ambulance Company but she was later flown to UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, Norbet explained in the release.
The girl died from blunt force trauma to the head as a result of a gunshot at 8:28 a.m. on May 1, as detailed in the PSP release.
Following the PSP investigation and the troopers consulting with District Attorney Ryan P. Sayers, Klingensmith was charged with the following:
Felony Murder of the Third Degree.
Misdemeanor Involuntary Manslaughter.
Felony Aggravated Assault - Attempts to cause serious bodily injuries or causes injury with extreme indifference.
Misdemeanor Recklessly Endangering Another Person.
Felony Aggravated Assault - Attempts to cause or causes bodily injuries with deadly weapon.
DA Sayers said the following about this incident:
“This is a heartbreaking and tragic shooting that occurred on Sunday evening in Brady Township,” “In the interest of justice, the difficult decision was made to charge this juvenile as an adult, instead of remaining in the juvenile system."
Klingensmith preliminary arraignment was held before Judge David S. Meholick at 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 2, according to his court docket. He was denied bail per state law on the charges and has been held in the Clearfield County Prison. His preliminary hearing is also set before Meholick and has been scheduled for 1:15 p.m. on May 10, court records show.
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