Kensington teen charged in friend's shooting death

An afternoon for two high school friends fooling around with a handgun in a Kensington house late last week ended with one dead and the other facing charges.

Philadelphia police on Wednesday said the shooting happened about 3 p.m. Thursday in the family home of Ivan Oberholtzer, 17. Oberholtzer was handling the gun when it fired, striking James Becker, also 17. Becker was taken to Hahnemann University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead that afternoon.

Neither the Becker family nor the Oberholtzer family could be reached for comment Wednesday.

Oberholtzer has been charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, and related offenses. As a minor, he could not legally own the handgun, and it was unclear to whom it belonged.

Oberholtzer's case will hinge largely on whether he is tried as a juvenile or an adult, said Josh Scarpello, a Philadelphia criminal defense lawyer. If convicted as an adult, Oberholtzer would face more severe penalties. Juvenile courts typically impose only penalties aimed at rehabilitation. The District Attorney's Office said Wednesday it had not decided whether Oberholtzer would be tried as an adult.

Both teens were students at Kensington High School for Creative and Performing Arts.