13-year-old pleads responsible in Jackson teen’s fatal shooting

A 13-year-old has pleaded responsible to manslaughter in the fatal shooting of 16-year-old Isaiah Ramos-Bostwick, Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney Kelsey Guernsey announced Tuesday. The incident occurred on January 15, 2026, at a residence in the City of Jackson, where police found Ramos-Bostwick dead from a gunshot wound to the head.

Five other teenagers were present during the shooting, and four testified during a preliminary examination earlier this year. Investigators noted that their accounts conflicted with one another and the evidence, while multiple seized cellphones yielded no usable records. Guernsey stated that Michigan law prohibited charging the 13-year-old as an adult, and the juvenile system requires pleas of responsible rather than guilty.

The case is now set for a dispositional hearing on December 17, 2026, before Judge Allison Bates, who will determine the juvenile’s terms. Guernsey acknowledged the family’s disappointment with the plea but said it was the only guaranteed way to secure accountability given the available evidence.

Read the full story at wilx.com.