DeKalb teen charged with felony murder for shooting twin brother in face, police say

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - Police said a teenager faces a murder charge after shooting his twin brother in the face on Monday in a home in DeKalb County.

Police said 17-year-old Xavier Hayes was arrested and booked in DeKalb County Jail for felony murder and aggravated assault. His brother, 17-year-old Dimitri Hayes, was pronounced dead at a hospital.

At the scene, police described the shooting as "accidental."

"It looks like one brother shot the other brother, he was just a pronounced deceased," said DeKalb County Police Sgt. Lynn Shuler. 

Xavier Hayes

Three DeKalb County police patrol units were investigating at around 5 a.m. Monday in front of a home on Young Knoll Street.

Police initially said the 17-year-old boys were playing with a gun in their bedroom at around 3:30 a.m. on Monday, and the boys didn't realize the gun was loaded. 

"It’s a black semi-automatic weapon handgun," said Sgt. Shuler. 

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It fired and hit one boy in the face, killing him.

"Two 17-year-old boys living in the house they share a bedroom," said Sgt. Shuler. "They were playing with a gun, thought it was unloaded it was not." 

Police investigating a shooting at a home in DeKalb County. (FOX 5 Atlanta)

Police interviewed the surviving teen at DeKalb County police headquarters. It's not clear what evidence led to police filing a murder charge.

It's unclear who owns the gun.