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ST. PAUL -- Detectives are investigating the fatal shooting of a 12-year-old boy Saturday morning in St. Paul.

Outside the residence, family, friends and community members said they believe the boy, whom they identified as Markee Jones, came across a loaded firearm and accidentally shot himself.

Nasip Nasir X, national chairman of the Lion of Judah Armed Forces and leader of the New Black Panther Nation Minnesota, asked that whoever owned the firearm turn themselves in, either to the police or the Black Panthers.

鈥�(The) firearm does not belong to our beloved child, Markee,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t belongs to someone else so therefore this is negligence on their end. Whoever knows something please step forward and say something. They can no longer get their child back. He鈥檚 not coming back鈥�if you know it鈥檚 your firearm that you left here, make sure you turn yourself in. You can turn yourself into the New Black Panther Nation or you can turn yourself into the police station but turning yourself in is the right thing to do so this family can get justice and this family can rest and be at peace.鈥�

Courtesy of the family via St. Paul Pioneer Press

Marilyn Hill, who is the boy鈥檚 great aunt, said the house where Jones died was a 鈥渟afe house.鈥�

鈥淭here are no firearms in this house,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e are God people. This is an incident that could be an accident but my niece wants justice 鈥︹��

Family friend Caniya Fryer said that Markee was 鈥渁 sweet loving little boy, still a baby,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just a messed up situation that nobody鈥檚 family wants to deal with. Nobody wants to deal with this type of hurt ever.鈥�

Police were called to the area at 5 a.m. on reports that a juvenile male had been shot. When they arrived, they found a 12-year-old boy with a gunshot wound. St. Paul fire medics transported the boy to Regions Hospital where he later died.

No further information was available Saturday morning.