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Child killed in shooting accident at Boy Scout Camp on Big Island, police say

A child was found dead of a gunshot wound at a Hawaiʻi Island Boy Scout camp in what police described as an accident.

Officers responded to Camp Honokaia, a Boy Scouts of America facility near Honokaʻa, around 2:30 p.m. on Sunday for a report of an unconscious child after a shooting incident, police said.

Police and firefighters found the child near the rifle range with what appeared to be a single gunshot wound, police said.

He was taken to Hilo Medical Center and pronounced dead, police said. He was identified by police on Thursday as 12-year-old Manuel “Manny” Carvalho.

Interviews with all children and adults who were present are ongoing, police said.

“At this time, police do not suspect foul play in the child's death,” police said. An autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday morning.

A phone message left at the camp wasn't immediately returned Monday. A representative with Boy Scouts of America, Aloha Council instructed The Associated Press to email inquiries to the Boy Scouts of America's national media relations office.

The Boy Scouts of America confirmed the death in a statement saying it was “due to a reportedly accidental discharge of a firearm while involved in a Troop activity at Camp Honokaia.”

“The Boy Scouts of America extends its sincere condolences to the family of the victim, Troop members and the Aloha Council,” it read.

Hawaiʻi County Mayor Mitch Roth said in a statement, "It was with heavy hearts that we learned of the tragic passing of one of our young boy scouts yesterday in Honokaʻa. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family in their time of grieving, as we remain hopeful that they will one day find peace."

"No family should have to suffer the pain of losing a child, and we hope this incident can help increase firearm safety awareness so that other families will not have to suffer the same tragedy. With that, we’d like to ask all of our residents to keep the young man’s family in their thoughts as they face a new journey ahead," he said.

Anyone with information about this incident can call the police department’s non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311 or the islandwide Crime Stoppers number at (808) 961-8300.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers.
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