A nine-year-old has been charged with first-degree murder after three toddlers and two adults died in a trailer park fire in the US state of Illinois.
The child has also been charged with two counts of arson and one count of aggravated arson, according to the Peoria Journal Star.
The gender and identity of the minor has not been revealed.
Three children, aged one, two and two, a 24-year-old man and a 69-year-old woman died on April 6 in the fire at Timberline mobile home park near the village of Goodfield, located roughly 240 kilometres outside of Chicago.
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Greg Minger, Woodford county state's attorney, has not revealed details about the suspect or the child's potential relationships to the victims.
According to a database maintained by the Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University, a minor this young has not been accused of a mass killing for at least 13 years, the Guardian reports. The database records all homicides in the US where four or more people were killed - not including the offender.
Woodford county coroner, Tim Ruestman, said the fire was deliberately lit. He said charging the nine-year-old with one of "the most serious crimes" needed to be done "for finality".
As reported by the Guardian, a major challenge for prosecutors will be proving the child planned an intent to kill, a requirement in first-degree murder cases.
The decision to charge the minor has been heavily criticised, with one juvenile justice advocate, Betsy Clark, calling the charges "completely out of line".
Clark has cited children's brain development as a reason why the nine-year-old should not be charged, according to the outlet.
If convicted, probation is the only likely outcome given the suspect's age, along with probable therapy and counselling.
The child will be appointed a lawyer and will be tried before a judge. Due to state legislation, minors are not given public jury trials and cannot be detained under the age of 10.
Newshub.
