NFL star evades charges over ‘Nerf War’ filming at home – as sister and boyfriend have accused

NFL player Joe Mixon was armed but did not open fire in the shooting death of a 16-year-old, prosecutors said.

Deputies from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office reported to Mr. Nixon’s home on March 6 after witnesses heard gunshots. A young victim who was shot in the foot and other teenagers were reportedly playing “Nerf Wars” with toy guns when the shooting took place. WLWT reported.

Prosecutors say Lamonte Brewer, Nixon’s sister’s boyfriend, shot the minor. He faces charges of assault, evidence tampering and possession of weapons while off work, but his whereabouts are unknown.

Mr Mixon’s sister, Shalonda Mixon, has been accused of tampering with evidence and obstructing justice. She has pleaded not guilty.

“The teenager heard multiple shots whizzing past his head and immediately ducked behind a tree in fear for his life,” prosecutor Melissa Powers said. “It’s unbelievable that something like this can happen. It’s hard to imagine how anyone could point a gun at a child, let alone fire off 10-11 shots at them. It’s a miracle he wasn’t killed.”

Prosecutors say Mr Mixon was wrongly told there were people with real guns in the backyard of his home. He then went outside armed but did not fire any shots.

A spokesman for Mr Mixon told ESPN the Cincinnati Bengals player received threats after his address was made public in January and was concerned for his safety.

“When another person fired a firearm, Joe intervened to prevent the person from firing a firearm,” the statement said. “Joe hates that a young adult was injured in this incident.”

The victim was taken to the hospital, where he received minor injuries.

Mr Mixon had been out of town and was returning home with his sister, their five children and Mr Brewer on the day of the shooting. Ms Powers said Mr Mixon was licensed to carry firearms and had not committed any crimes.

Ms Mixon and Mr Brewer were stopped later that night trying to leave their brother’s home FOX19.

It’s unclear how law enforcement lost track of Mr Brewer.

The principal of the school the victim attends has warned parents about dart wars, stating that toy guns used in the game could be mistaken for real guns.

“A lot of the Nerf guns and homemade gadgets resemble a real gun to a person seeing (them) from a distance,” said David Spencer of Turpin High School in a statement The Cincinnati investigator. “In the world we live in today, this can create extreme concern and a specific response that was unintended by our young adults.”