A 9-year-old boy accused of causing a mobile home fire that killed three children and two adults in central Illinois has been charged with five counts of first-degree murder.
The juvenile also was charged with two counts of arson and one count of aggravated arson.
The April 6 fire killed a 1-year-old, two 2-year-olds, a 34-year-old man and a 69-year-old woman at Timberline Mobile Home Park near the village of Goodfield.
Woodford County State’s Attorney Greg Minger would not reveal other details about the suspect, including a possible relationship to the victims. No child this young has been accused in a mass killing since at least 2006, according to the AP/USATODAY/Northeastern University mass murder database.