The teenager used a Jericho pistol to take his own life, police said. [File, Standard]

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) says preliminary probe into the death of a senior police officer's son suggests he didn't have a depressing episode shortly before he shot himself on Sunday.

The 13-year-old son of Patrick King'ori Macharia, the North Eastern Deputy Regional Police Commander, allegedly shot himself in the head at their Ruai home in Nairobi County on October 2.

It's alleged the minor used his father's Jericho pistol to take his own life.

A DCI detective handling the matter told The Standard in confidence that interrogations and examination of the boy's body suggest he did not have episodes of depression.

"Based on our investigations so far, there was no bad relations between the boy and his parents," said our informant.

"A conclusive report should be out before the end of the week. However, much of the investigation points to suicide," he added.

A police report filed at Mawe Mbili police post in Ruai said the boy's father had left his firearm in the living room, when the teenager allegedly took it.

"Macharia had left his gun in the living and went to the washroom. He later went to where his wife, Judy Watetu, was. A few minutes later, they heard a gunshot sound emanating from their son's bedroom," said the police report.

The parents said they rushed to the scene and found their child, a primary school pupil, lying in a pool of blood.

The boy had shot himself in the left side of the head and the bullet exited through the right side.

Kayole Sub-County Police Commander Paul Wambugu said the firearm used in the suspected suicide had 29 rounds of ammunition.