The Denver street where a man shot and killed a 12-year-old child who drove off in his stolen car (Picture: CBS)

A man in Denver shot and killed a 12-year-old boy after finding him in his stolen car.

On Sunday, a man filed a stolen vehicle report with the Denver Police Department after his vehicle was stolen in a shopping mall. Police have not yet identified the man.

At the same time, he began tracking his stolen vehicle with an app. He found his car 10 miles away, occupied by an undisclosed number of individuals.

‘When the vehicle’s owner approached the car, he was involved in an exchange of gunfire with the occupant(s) in the stolen vehicle,’ Denver police said in a news release.

It is unclear who shot first and how many shots were fired.

One of the occupants, later identified as 12-year-old Elias Armstrong, drove the car a few blocks away, where he was eventually found by police. The other occupants fled from the scene on foot.

Armstrong was wounded by a gunshot, and was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. His death was ruled a homicide by a medical examiner.

Police said the investigation into the shooting is still ongoing. The man was not arrested immediately after the shooting, and it is unclear if he will face any charges.

This is not the first instance of children dying as a result of gun violence this year. On January 17, a 14-year-old girl shot and killed an 11-year-old boy in Dallas, Texas.

The 14-year-old shooter had gotten into a fight with another girl, when one of the girls pulled out a gun and started shooting.

The victim, De’Evan McFall, was just a bystander watching the fight.

The shooter fled into a nearby apartment, but was quickly found by police. She has since been charged with murder. It is still unclear how she got ahold of the gun used in the first place.

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The Denver street where a man shot and killed a 12-year-old child who drove off in his stolen car (Picture: CBS)

A man in Denver shot and killed a 12-year-old boy after finding him in his stolen car.

On Sunday, a man filed a stolen vehicle report with the Denver Police Department after his vehicle was stolen in a shopping mall. Police have not yet identified the man.

At the same time, he began tracking his stolen vehicle with an app. He found his car 10 miles away, occupied by an undisclosed number of individuals.

‘When the vehicle’s owner approached the car, he was involved in an exchange of gunfire with the occupant(s) in the stolen vehicle,’ Denver police said in a news release.

It is unclear who shot first and how many shots were fired.

One of the occupants, later identified as 12-year-old Elias Armstrong, drove the car a few blocks away, where he was eventually found by police. The other occupants fled from the scene on foot.

Armstrong was wounded by a gunshot, and was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. His death was ruled a homicide by a medical examiner.

Police said the investigation into the shooting is still ongoing. The man was not arrested immediately after the shooting, and it is unclear if he will face any charges.

This is not the first instance of children dying as a result of gun violence this year. On January 17, a 14-year-old girl shot and killed an 11-year-old boy in Dallas, Texas.

The 14-year-old shooter had gotten into a fight with another girl, when one of the girls pulled out a gun and started shooting.

The victim, De’Evan McFall, was just a bystander watching the fight.

The shooter fled into a nearby apartment, but was quickly found by police. She has since been charged with murder. It is still unclear how she got ahold of the gun used in the first place.

Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected]. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.