Local Story: Murder or not?

[Cringer]

The local news is talking about a story in which a kid just died. The family is now causing all sorts of problems for people, which is understandable in a way, they are pissed/upset this boy died.

Here is the deal. The kid started to get chased by some gang members (one of the things the family is bitching about, the police say he was a rival gang member and the family says he was not in a gang). So he is getting chased, and these guys have guns I guess. He runs into a yard and jumps threw the window of a house. Not an open window. He cuts himself going threw, meanwhile the gang members take off. The home owner calls for an ambulance, and the kid walks out to it when it gets there. At the hospital he died. (The family is having a fit about this part because they were never notified about him being in the hospital until after he was dead, which I guess was a good while later that night)

Now, the police are calling it an accident, the family is calling it murder and want charges brought against the gang members (if they find them). I am notsure what way to go, I think something should be brought against the guys chasing them.....

[MikeVic]

That's tough! There's something to do with accidental murder right? I forget the term, but I would think that applies here.

[sabotai]

Not murder. Perhaps Manslaughter. Well, at least that's what I think of this based off of my years of watching Law and Order. :)

[Cringer]

Thats is what I am thinking. Not full blown murder, but atleast some lesser charge. To say it was just an accident and not charge anyone with anything seems way too little.

[Ksyrup]

If they committed a felony (perhaps an offense related to having the guns?) during this episode, no matter how tangential to the death, they could be charged with felony murder. Otherwise, I assume your looking at manslaughter or something similar, where the DA would have to prove reckless behavior in which a death was a reasonably foreseeable result of their actions. Depending on the language of the operative statutes, it could be tricky.