13-year-old wielding replica handgun fatally shot by police

A 13-year-old boy armed with a replica gun was fatally shot by police in upstate New York on Friday night after he led officers on a foot chase in a residential neighborhood and then displayed the fake firearm, authorities shared.

The Utica Police Department shared that three officers stopped two teenagers at around 10 p.m. on Friday while investigating a string of robberies.

The officers reportedly approached the teens because “they matched the robbery suspects’ descriptions and were in the immediate vicinity of the previous robbery at nearly the same time of day,” police said.

While officers were talking with the teens, one fled the area on foot.

Utica Police Chief Mark Williams shared during a news conference on Saturday that as the victim ran, police saw what“appeared to be a handgun.”

After seeing what he thought was a weapon, an officer pulled his firearm and fatally shot the teen, who has since been identified as 13-year-old Nyah Mway.

“A Utica police officer ultimately discharged his firearm once, striking the male, during a ground struggle,” Williams said.

Mway was given immediate first aid by the officers before being taken to a local hospital, where he died from the gunshot wound.

Williams said that after the officer shot Mway, they discovered a pellet gun resembling a Glock 17 handgun.

“This replica handgun was ultimately found to be a pellet gun,” Williams disclosed.

The officer who shot Mway was identified as six-year department veteran Patrick Husnay.

The department said that body camera footage showed Mway take off from the scene almost immediately after officers stopped him. While running, he appears to point what officers say was the replica gun at the pursuing police.

About 15 to 20 seconds later, the footage shows an officer tackling Mway to the sidewalk, and while they wrestle, Husnay approaches and fires a single shot.

The investigation remains ongoing at this point.