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| Boy, 16, dies in village shooting | Boy, 16, dies in village shooting |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A teenage boy has died after apparently shooting himself in a village. | A teenage boy has died after apparently shooting himself in a village. |
| Police were called to a property in Cobham, Kent, where the 16-year-old was found at 10.30pm on Friday. | Police were called to a property in Cobham, Kent, where the 16-year-old was found at 10.30pm on Friday. |
| The death of the boy was not being treated as suspicious, police said. | |
| A Kent police spokesman said: "Police were called at 10.30pm on 8 March to a sudden death of a 16-year-old boy at a private address in Cobham. | A Kent police spokesman said: "Police were called at 10.30pm on 8 March to a sudden death of a 16-year-old boy at a private address in Cobham. |
| "The death is being treated as non-suspicious but unexplained at this time." | "The death is being treated as non-suspicious but unexplained at this time." |
| The boy has not been formally identified but has been named as Charlie Booth, a year 11 pupil at leading independent school Gad's Hill, based at the former home of Charles Dickens in Higham. | |
| A school statement said: "Gad's Hill school is united in grief today after the announcement of the death of one of its pupils. | A school statement said: "Gad's Hill school is united in grief today after the announcement of the death of one of its pupils. |
| "It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that the school, in Higham, learnt of the sudden, untimely and unexplained death of one of its year 11 students, 16-year-old Charlie Booth, who was fatally injured at his home." | |
| Dickens made Gad's Hill Place his home in 1856 and wrote classic novels including Great Expectations. | Dickens made Gad's Hill Place his home in 1856 and wrote classic novels including Great Expectations. |
| News of Charlie's death was broken to pupils at a school | News of Charlie's death was broken to pupils at a school |
| assembly on Monday morning. | assembly on Monday morning. |
| The talented rugby and football player was described as an "excellent ambassador for our school" whose death has left his family, teachers and the local community struggling to make sense of what happened. | |
| Gad's Hill school headmaster, David Craggs, said: "I am sure you will all react with shock and deep sadness at this news. Charlie was after all a remarkable young man, who had such a bright future ahead of him. Our first thoughts are for Charlie's family and I can say with confidence that they have the heartfelt support and condolences of the whole Gad's Hill community. | |
| "It is at times like this – to quote recent comments by President Barack Obama – we will all hug our own children a little closer over the next few days." | "It is at times like this – to quote recent comments by President Barack Obama – we will all hug our own children a little closer over the next few days." |
| Charlie joined Gad's Hill in its junior school and was said to be an outstanding student, contributing to all areas of school life, including competing in cross-country events. | |
| Craggs added: "He was an excellent ambassador for our school, an NCO in the school's combined cadet force and was due to embrace his passion for adventure and his love for the outdoors on a once-in-a-lifetime school expedition to Alaska this summer. | Craggs added: "He was an excellent ambassador for our school, an NCO in the school's combined cadet force and was due to embrace his passion for adventure and his love for the outdoors on a once-in-a-lifetime school expedition to Alaska this summer. |
| "Charlie was able to distinguish himself above other cadets, showing great strength, initiative and leadership, and he was a great friend to so many. | "Charlie was able to distinguish himself above other cadets, showing great strength, initiative and leadership, and he was a great friend to so many. |
| "Charlie was a friendly, enthusiastic, mature and self-confident student with so much to live for, attributes that make this tragedy even more difficult to comprehend. He will be greatly missed. | "Charlie was a friendly, enthusiastic, mature and self-confident student with so much to live for, attributes that make this tragedy even more difficult to comprehend. He will be greatly missed. |
| "His loss leaves his family, our school and the wider Gad's community in mourning and struggling to make sense of what has unfolded. | "His loss leaves his family, our school and the wider Gad's community in mourning and struggling to make sense of what has unfolded. |
| "We have kept the school open today as a mark of respect to Charlie and his family and to also unite in grief, helping and supporting his classmates and friends who may have been affected by his sudden death. | "We have kept the school open today as a mark of respect to Charlie and his family and to also unite in grief, helping and supporting his classmates and friends who may have been affected by his sudden death. |
| "Charlie's legacy will live on in our fond memories of him and in the eternal love of his family."" |