Keith Frierson: Boy shot dead by 10-year-old who lost bike race, mum claims
A 10-year-old boy was shot dead by another boy of the same age after losing a bicycle race, the victim’s mother has claimed.
Keith “KJ” Frierson was found bleeding from the head and neck at about 4.30pm in a Californian suburb on Saturday, with police arresting a boy, 10, and his father.
The boy suspect was being a “sore loser” after the race in Foothill Farms – about 16 miles northeast of Sacramento – and took aim at KJ, according to his mother Brittani Frierson.
She had given KJ permission to ride the bike – which she says he “begged” to get for Christmas – just 15 minutes before neighbours banged on her door, reports Sky News’ US partner network NBC News.
“I screamed for hours after I saw my child on that ground, because I could just see that he had no chance,” Ms Frierson said, adding she was told what happened by a neighbour’s child, who was also in the race.
“I just knew that my child was gone.”
The 10-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of murder, while his father – identified as 53-year-old Arkete Davis – was arrested on suspicion of carrying a stolen, loaded firearm in a vehicle, child endangerment and being an accessory to a crime after the fact.
What happened?
Police say the 10-year-old boy had gone to his father’s truck to get him cigarettes and found a loaded gun.
He took it and “bragged that his father had a gun”, according to police, and then “proceeded to shoot the victim once and ran into a nearby apartment”.
That’s when police believe Davis tried to hide the gun by allegedly throwing it in a nearby bin.
Ms Frierson said the neighbour’s child told her the boy angrily walked off after he lost the race and returned with a gun – shooting KJ in the neck without saying a word.
Brittani Frierson was alerted 15 minutes after letting her son ride his bike. Pic: KCRA/NBC News
Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Amar Gandhi said Ms Frierson has recounted what her neighbour’s child told her.
There was “nothing to add on our end”, he said, adding it was a “sad situation all around”.
‘Such a good kid’
Ms Frierson said her son was always helping older women in their neighbourhood to carry their shopping, and was a generous, smart and friendly boy.
“There’s nobody that met that boy that did not come back and tell me, to the side, like ‘your son – you raised that boy good, he’s such a good kid’,” she said, as neighbours gathered for a vigil in his memory.
KJ last year joined the Junior Football Mustangs – a youth American football team – which said he “will truly be missed by all of your Mustangs family and friends”.
Ms Frierson described one of her fondest memories of KJ was his joy on reaching a championship game with his brother and teammates just days after finding out his father had died.
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A vigil was held in KJ’s memory. Pic: KCRA/NBC News
She said the boy suspected of shooting her son would often knock on her door to ask to play with her children, and said she was heartbroken her son was allegedly killed by someone he considered a friend.
‘I will get justice’
The family blames Davis for the fates of both the boys.
“Instead of aiding my baby, he tried to hide it, he tried to cover it up,” Ms Frierson said.
“He will pay for this. He will. We’ll get justice for my son. I will get justice for my son.”
Davis remained in jail on Tuesday, with there being a $500,000 (£395,000) bail in place.
He is an ex-criminal who was “legally prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm”, the Sheriff’s Office said, adding the gun had been reported stolen in 2017.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the man had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.
Elon Musk has said he is committed to remaining as Tesla’s chief executive for at least five years, as the electric carmaker faces pressure from consumers and the stock market over his work with Donald Trump’s government.
The world’s richest man said he will cut back on political spending after heavily backing the US president last year.
During a video appearance at the Qatar Economic Forum hosted by Bloomberg, a moderator asked: “Do you see yourself and are you committed to still being the chief executive of Tesla in five years’ time?”
Musk responded: “Yes.”
The moderator added: “No doubt about that at all?”
Musk chuckled and replied: “I can’t be still here if I’m dead.”
Tesla has borne the brunt of the outrage against Musk over his work with Mr Trump as part of his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which implemented cuts across the US federal government.
Asked if the reaction made him think twice about his involvement in politics, Musk said: “I did what needed to be done.
“I’m not someone who has ever committed violence and yet massive violence was committed against my companies, massive violence was threatened against me.”
He added: “Don’t worry: We’re coming for you.”
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Musk pulls back from D.O.G.E. role
Musk spent at least 250 million dollars (£187m) supporting Mr Trump in the presidential campaign, and even held some of his own campaign rallies.
“I’m going to do a lot less in the future,” Mr Musk said. Asked why, he responded: “I think I’ve done enough.”
And he added: “Well, if I see a reason to do political spending in the future, I will do it. I do not currently see a reason.”
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It comes after a Tesla pay package Musk was due, once valued at $56bn (£41.8bn) was stopped by a judge in Delaware.
Musk referred to chancellor Kathaleen St Jude McCormick as an “activist who is cosplaying a judge in a Halloween costume”.
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
But he acknowledged his Tesla pay was part of his consideration about staying with Tesla, though he also wanted “sufficient voting control” so he “cannot be ousted by activist investors”.
“It’s not a money thing, it’s a reasonable control thing over the future of the company, especially if we’re building millions, potentially billions of humanoid robots,” he added.
Donald Trump has announced the concept for his Golden Dome missile defence system – which includes plans for the US put weapons in space for the first time.
The “cutting-edge missile defence system” will include “space-based sensors and interceptors”, Mr Trump said, adding the Golden Dome “should be fully operational by the end of my term”.
The system – styled on Israel’s Iron Dome – will be able to detect and stop missiles at all points of attack, from before launch to when they are descending towards a target, the Trump administration has said.
Making the announcement in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Mr Trump told reporters the Golden Dome will be “capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from the other side of the world”.
The US president also said Canada “has called us and they want to be part of it”. “As usual, we help Canada as best we can,” he said.
Trump was flanked by two Golden Dome posters. Pic: AP
He has also pledged that the entire system to be built within the United States. Manufacturers in Georgia, Alaska, Florida and Indiana will all be heavily involved in the project, Mr Trump said.
General Michael Guetlein, who currently serves as the vice chief of space operations, will oversee the Golden Dome’s progress.
The space weapons “represent new and emerging requirements for missions that have never before been accomplished by military space organizations,” General Chance Saltzman, the head of the US Space Force, said at a hearing Tuesday.
Defence secretary Pete Hegseth joined the president for the announcement. Pic: AP
How much will the Golden Dome cost?
Mr Trump said he has allocated $25bn “to help get construction under way,” which he described as an initial down payment.
The total cost will be “about $175bn”, the US president added – but the Congressional Budget Office has put the price much higher.
The space-based components alone could cost as much as $542bn (£405bn) over the next 20 years, it estimated earlier this month.
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Mr Trump’s announcement came shortly after the newly confirmed US Air Force secretary said there’s currently no money allocated for the Golden Dome.
The programme is “still in the conceptual stage,” Troy Meink told senators today.
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The Pentagon has for years warned that the newest missiles developed by Russia and China are so advanced counter measures are needed.
Both Russia and China have already put offensive weapons, such as satellites capable of disabling those of other countries, in space.
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