In true wtf news of the day, a Jeannette, Pennsylvania teen is facing first-degree murder charges after he reportedly confessed to shooting his classmate in the face. Police say they were able to link 16-year-old Maxwell Morton to the crime with a gruesome Snapchat selfie.
According to police, Morton shot his classmate, 16-year-old Ryan Mangan, in the face with a 9mm handgun. Shortly after, he took a selfie with the body and sent it to another classmate via Snapchat.
Here are some of the chilling details, via the Pittsburgh Tribune Review:
“(Police) received a copy of the photo which depicted the victim sitting in the chair with a gunshot wound to the face,” a police affidavit states. “It also depicts a black male taking the ‘selfie,’ with his face facing the camera and the victim behind the actor. The photo had the name ‘Maxwell’ across the top.”
Morton also allegedly sent text messages that read, “Told you I cleaned up the shells,” and “Ryan was not the last one.”
Police were alerted to the existence of the photo by the boy’s mother. Her son had managed to take a screenshot of the image before it disappeared, as Snapchat photos eventually do. Police confronted Morton at his home and found a 9mm and a discharged casing. Morton later confessed to the murder.
According to the Review, Morton is being charged as an adult.
Image via Maurizio Pesce, Flickr Creative Commons