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16-year-old dies weeks after being shot while playing with handgun in southeast Columbus

The other boy, who’s now 17 years old, was arrested and is charged with reckless homicide.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A teenage boy died three weeks after he was shot while playing with a handgun with another teenager in southeast Columbus last month.

On the night of April 22, the Columbus Division of Police was called to the 2900 block of Falcon Bridge Drive near Refugee Road for a reported shooting. 

Police say Keontae Harper and the other boy, both 16-year-old boys at the time, were playing with handguns when they began pointing them at each other in a joking manner. Harper was shot and taken to the hospital in critical condition.

On Tuesday, Columbus police issued a release stating that Harper succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at 3:31 a.m. 

The other boy, who’s now 17 years old, was arrested and initially charged with felonious assault. On Tuesday, police upgraded the charge to reckless homicide.

Columbus City Schools confirmed with 10TV that both teens attended schools within the district. 

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