Police said a 14-year-old boy later admitted the shooting was accidental after initially describing it as suicide.
ALLIANCE, OH — A Stark County mother has been charged after police said her 14-year-old son accidentally shot and killed 15-year-old Kennedy Wise on June 19 inside an Alliance home, then tried to stage the death as suicide.
Erin Barker, 48, is charged with tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony, after investigators said she returned a Glock 19 pistol to the shooting scene and did not tell officers what had happened. The case now involves separate court tracks for Barker and her son, who is being held in juvenile custody and faces multiple counts tied to Wise’s death.
Police said officers were called at about 4:15 p.m. June 19 to a home in the 600 block of West Summit Street for a report of a gunshot wound. Officers found Wise with a gunshot wound to the head. She died at the scene. Investigators said Barker’s son, an acquaintance of Wise, had taken Barker’s Glock 19 to the home. Police said the boy was playing with the gun in the kitchen and believed it was unloaded when it fired and struck Wise in the face. After the shooting, police said, the boy removed the gun from the house and went home.
Authorities said the boy first told Barker that Wise had died by suicide. Alliance Municipal Court Judge Andrew Zumbar described the allegation during Barker’s court appearance, saying the gun had been removed by her son and that she returned it to the scene after hearing his account. Barker spoke briefly by video from the Stark County jail before bond was set at $25,000. “I’ve never been in trouble. This is a very tragic thing,” Barker said. She asked the court for mercy and said she wanted to “do what’s right for everybody involved.”
Alliance Police Sgt. Michael Jones said investigators believe Barker and her son brought the gun back to the house and placed it near Wise’s feet. Police said detectives later interviewed witnesses and the boy admitted the shooting was accidental. Jones said police also believe this was not the first time the boy had gained access to his mother’s gun. Authorities have not publicly released the boy’s name because he is a juvenile. Police have not said exactly how he got the firearm before bringing it to the West Summit Street home.
The boy appeared Monday in juvenile court in Canton. A court finding said he was a threat to himself and the public and lacked adequate parental supervision. He was not allowed to return home and remained in juvenile detention. Police said he faces 12 counts, including involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide and evidence tampering. Early reports from police listed an involuntary manslaughter charge, while later court reporting showed the broader list of counts as the case moved forward.
Barker appeared Monday in Alliance Municipal Court and did not enter a plea on the tampering charge. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday morning in Alliance. Her son is expected back in court June 30. The Stark County Coroner’s Office and Alliance police are continuing to investigate the shooting, including the movement of the gun, the first statements given after Wise died and what witnesses saw inside the home before and after the shot was fired.
The shooting has drawn attention in Alliance because both the victim and the accused shooter were teenagers and knew each other. Police described the case as difficult for first responders and investigators. “It’s always tough when it involves kids,” Jones said, adding that officers who responded were affected by the scene. The home on West Summit Street became the center of a homicide investigation within minutes of the 911 call, with police and coroner’s officials working through the evening to secure evidence and interview those connected to the case.
As of Wednesday, Barker remained charged in the adult case and her son remained in juvenile custody. The next scheduled milestone is Barker’s preliminary hearing Friday, followed by the boy’s juvenile court appearance on June 30.
Author note: Last updated June 24, 2026.