A 13-year-old boy accused of fatally shooting a 16-year-old acquaintance inside a Norristown home has been arraigned on third-degree murder and related charges, and will remain locked up until a preliminary hearing set for Oct. 14. Daniel Hawkins-Boyce is being prosecuted in adult court under Pennsylvania law, even as his attorneys weigh whether to seek a transfer back to the juvenile system.
William Boyd, 16, was shot and killed around 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 22 inside a home on the 800 block of Arch Street, according to NBC10 Philadelphia. Hoodline previously reported on the initial, chaotic police response to the shooting on Arch Street, before Boyd's identity or any charges were made public.
Montgomery County Coroner's Office pathologist Dr. Lauren Thoma conducted an autopsy and determined that Boyd died from a single gunshot wound to the head, ruling the manner of death a homicide, according to CBS News Philadelphia. Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said the evidence clearly showed the firearm was recklessly fired, fatally striking the victim, per NBC10 Philadelphia.
What the Suspect Told Investigators
According to the arrest affidavit, Hawkins-Boyce told investigators he brought the gun to meet Boyd, left it unattended in the basement for 10 to 15 minutes while he used the restroom, and then accidentally discharged it into Boyd's face while scrolling TikTok and tapping the trigger upon his return, as reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer. A family member separately told police that Hawkins-Boyce had found a handgun by a trash can and had been playing with it, per the DA's office, according to NBC10 Philadelphia.
After the shooting, Hawkins-Boyce ran to his home on Smith Street to wake his mother, and the two waited together on the front porch for officers responding to a 911 call, the Inquirer reports. He reportedly admitted responsibility to detectives immediately upon their arrival.
Police recovered a Ruger .380 handgun at the scene that had been reported stolen out of Philadelphia on June 3, 2026, according to NBC10 Philadelphia. Under Pennsylvania Crimes Code § 3903, receiving or possessing a stolen firearm is graded as a second-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine, per the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. How the stolen weapon made its way from Philadelphia to Norristown remains an open question in the case.
Charges, Bail and a Juvenile Detention Cell
Hawkins-Boyce faces third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, possession of a firearm by a minor, possessing an instrument of crime, and receiving stolen property, according to Cedar News. Magisterial District Judge Hakim K. Jones arraigned him Sept. 30, setting bail at 10% of $200,000 and scheduling a preliminary hearing for Oct. 14 at 11:45 a.m., per CBS News Philadelphia.
Because Hawkins-Boyce did not post the required $20,000 cash portion of his bail, he was remanded to the Montgomery County Juvenile Detention Center to await his court date, according to Patch. The arrangement underscores an unusual feature of the case: though charged as an adult, the 13-year-old is being held in a facility built for juveniles.
Why the Case Started in Adult Court
Under Pennsylvania's Juvenile Act, murder charges are statutorily excluded from original juvenile court jurisdiction, meaning district attorneys must file murder charges directly in adult court regardless of a defendant's age, per the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. That mandate is why a 13-year-old is currently facing the adult system despite his age.
In direct-file juvenile cases, the juvenile must establish at a decertification hearing that transfer to juvenile court serves the public interest, with amenability to treatment among the considerations, according to WHP-TV. Steele has publicly stated he anticipates the court will review a potential transfer to juvenile court, NBC10 Philadelphia reports, though no decision has been made.
The 800 block of Arch Street, where Boyd was killed, sits near the 100 block of East Chestnut Street, where three people were injured in an August shooting that Hoodline also covered. Local law enforcement has responded to multiple gun violence incidents across the borough throughout 2026.
