Teen confessed to girl’s murder over Instagram, police say

BENSALEM, Pa. (Gray News) - Police in Pennsylvania say a 16-year-old boy has been charged as an adult in relation to the fatal shooting of a 13-year-old girl.

Bensalem Police received a call Friday about a possible homicide, according to a police news release. The caller told them her daughter had gotten an Instagram video chat from a 16-year-old acquaintance, later identified as Joshua Cooper.

During the chat, Cooper allegedly said he had just killed someone and showed a person’s legs and feet covered in blood. He then asked for help disposing of the body, the 911 caller said.

Officers went to Cooper’s home, where they found a juvenile female dead on the bathroom floor with an apparent gunshot wound. The victim was reportedly 13 years old, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Police say there were also “substantial steps” taken to clean up the crime scene.

Cooper allegedly fled the scene when officers arrived, but after a short search, he was taken into custody.

The 16-year-old faces charges of criminal homicide, possessing instruments of crime and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence. He was denied bail and sent to the Edison Juvenile Detention Center.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 7, the Inquirer reports.