Baltimore (WBFF) – The question of parental responsibility is back on the table Thursday as charging documents reveal the 16-year-old accused of killing a 14-year-old classmate in Aberdeen used his father’s gun.

The victim in this fatal shooting is 14-year-old Jaiden Winchester, who is described as a standout JV football player at Havre de Grace High School. Police say he was shot after an argument at a Halloween party on Saturday. The suspect, 16-year-old Kevin Kinsey Junior, is also a Havre de Grace student who is now charged as an adult with murder.

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Charging documents from the Harford County District Attorney’s Office reveal that the suspect used a gun found to be registered to Kinsey’s father.

It is that particular point that reignites the issue of holding parents accountable, in some cases, when their children commit crime.

Defense attorney Kurt Nachtman, who is not associated with this case, weighs in on the issue — this suspect’s alleged use of his father’s gun to commit a murder.

“It’s a crime, it’s a felony to allow a child to have access to a firearm. However, the child must be under the age of 16 – and that offense only carries a $1,000 fine, no. he’s not even doing jail time,” Nachtman said.

To be clear, police have not charged anyone else in the case, including the suspect’s father, in connection with the murder.

In fact, Nachtman thinks it’s unlikely the father will be charged.

“It would be extraordinarily difficult, well, it would be impossible based on (the suspect’s) age. But some of the other crimes (the father) could be charged with would be something like reckless endangerment,” he said. Nachtman.

The issue of parental responsibility also arose last week when Baltimore police said a 13-year-old boy with a squeegee assaulted a 51-year-old man in his vehicle in West Baltimore on the morning of Nov. 29.

Just a day before this alleged incident, Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates was on Fox45 reiterating his plans to crack down on parents when their children are criminals.

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“There are those parents who, no matter what happens, could care less what their kids do. Regardless of age, they are simply not engaged in parenting. Those are the parents I look up to,” Bates said.

It’s a problem that sometimes surfaces in the midst of tragedy.

“In Maryland, if you provide alcohol to a minor as a parent, you can go to jail. But if you give a gun to a minor, you get a fine,” Nachtman said.

During Kinsey’s bail hearing Monday, prosecutors revealed that Kinsey had a prior felony pending in juvenile court. But what exactly remains unclear.