Community Reels After 11-Year-Old Allegedly Kills 5-Year-Old Brother, Neighbors Recall 'Very Family-Oriented' Area

A 11-year-old boy was charged with first-degree murder by the Colorado authorities on March 16. The suspect has been charged in connection with the murder of his 5-year-old brother in early March.

A Colorado community is reeling from the news of the death of a 5-year-old boy and the news of who police suspect in the killing. The Centennial neighborhood where the 5-year-old died is filled with children, according to neighbors.

One of the neighbors, Emily Silengo, while talking to CBS News Colorado said, “It’s been very safe, very, very family-oriented.”

CBS News Colorado reported that Timberline Elementary School, which the 5-year-old attended, is just blocks away from the scene. Neighbors also mentioned that they often saw the 5-year-old victim, along with his two older brothers, playing outside. One neighbor added that although the family kept to themselves, the children had played with others in the neighborhood a few days before the incident.

On March 10, Arapahoe County Sherrif's Office deputies responded to a call from a Centennial home where a 5-year-old boy was found dead. Authorities have charged the victim’s 11-year-old brother, who, according to the Arapahoe County District Attorney’s Office, is being processed in juvenile court because anyone under 12 cannot be charged as an adult.

One neighbor said on March 10, while walking by the home, he saw a stretcher being loaded into an ambulance. A large police presence that day disrupted the neighborhood.

“I pulled in, I was grabbing dinner, and then I saw two or three cop cars, which is definitely alarming because we usually don't see cop cars at all around here,” said neighbor Kirby O’Loughlin.

“I saw all the police cars, and I was hoping nothing bad had happened,” said another neighbor, Cain Gutierrez. However, a tragedy had occurred.

According to the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, a 5-year-old boy was killed at a home on South Jerico Way.

The news has been difficult for the neighborhood to process, with some saying that their children played with the brothers.

“Incredibly jarring and shocking and very emotional, as I said, I have a little daughter of my own, and to hear that, I mean, makes me pretty emotional,” Silengo said.

The case details have not been revealed to the public because it is being handled in juvenile court.

According to the District Attorney’s Office, authorities have not revealed the identities of either the victim or his brother.

The circumstances surrounding the boy's death have also not been disclosed.