Irvine teen shot, killed at friend's house: 1 arrested

IRVINE, Calif. - Police have arrested a man after a boy was shot at his home in Irvine on Thursday. 

Arrest made in boy's shooting death

Christian Yeager

What we know:

Irvine police arrested 56-year-old Christian Douglas Yeager on Friday, on suspicion of criminal storage of a firearm and child endangerment.  

First responders from the Irvine Police Department and Orange County Fire Authority were called to Yeager's home in the area of Heathergreen and Weepingwood around 2:45 p.m. on Thursday, March 27. 

When they got there, they found a 13-year-old boy who had been shot.

First responders tried to save him, but he died a short time later. 

Detectives initially believed the boy died by suicide, but officers are still investigating.

Boy didn't live at the home where he died

Dig deeper:

The 13-year-old who was killed didn't live at the home, police said on Friday. Officers said that he was at a friend's house, with a third friend. 

According to the Irvine police department, the teen was killed with Yeager's gun. Officers said the gun wasn't properly locked away, and was sitting loaded on a nightstand in Yeager's bedroom. 

Yeager wasn't home when the shooting happened, but police said an adult woman was. Police did not identify her.

When officers searched the home, they said they found "numerous unsecured firearms" in the bedroom, all of which were Yeager's.

What we don't know:

Officials did not identify the teen, but said he was a student at South Lake Middle School. Investigators are still trying to figure out what led up to the shooting, and if it was accidental or intentional.

If you or a loved one is feeling distressed, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The crisis center provides free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.