Police Charge Child, 12, in Shooting That Left His Friend, 13, Dead Over the Weekend in South Carolina

A 13-year-old boy is dead and his two friends are in custody following a fatal shooting in South Carolina.

A spokesperson for the Sumter Police Department tells Inside Edition Digital that officers responded to a report of a shooting just after noon on Sunday and arrived to find Akeem Pugh next to a car parked outside a home.

Officers administered aid to the critically injured middle-school student until paramedics arrived on the scene and rushed Pugh to Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital, where they declared the boy dead shortly after his arrival, says the spokesperson.

This already unthinkable tragedy took yet another turn, as the Sumter Police Department announced that two of Pugh's friends have now been arrested in connection with the boy's death.

On Monday, police arrested a 17-year-old teenager on a charge of accessory before the fact, and a 12-year-old child on a charge of involuntary manslaughter.

Police are not releasing the names of these two individuals because they are minors, and both are being held at a state Department of Juvenile Justice facility, according to the Sumter Police Department.

The police spokesperson notes that the investigation is still in the early stages and that Pugh's autopsy is scheduled for later this week.

Police are not releasing any other details about the incident at this time. Police records do show however that gun violence has been a problem in this neighborhood throughout the years.

A school board member paid tribute to Pugh after the tragedy, sharing a Facebook post that read: "It is with a heavy heart to announce that Akeem Pugh, a student at Chestnut Oaks Middle School, has passed away. Please keep his family and the Chestnut Oaks Middle School family in your thoughts."

Sumter School District Superintendent William Wright, Ph.D., also released a statement to local NBC affiliate WIS, which read in part: "The Chestnut Oaks Middle School family has experienced the loss of a 7th-grade student who was not only a classmate, but a friend to many. Our thoughts, prayers, and deepest sympathies are extended to his family during this very difficult time."

Wright also noted that guidance counselors would be on hand should any students need assistance coping with the tragedy.

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