FOLKS, THIS STUFF IS HARD.

Mohammed, 12, was shot and killed by an American soldier late Thursday night as he stood on the roof of the family's home in western Baghdad, making him one of the youngest civilians killed in Iraq since combat operations ended May 1. For Americans struggling to understand why violence continues to erupt against U.S. soldiers in Iraq, the story of Mohammed's death may be instructive.

U.S. officials said Mohammed had an AK-47 in his hand and posed a threat to soldiers who were conducting a weapons search nearby. Mohammed's family says he was on the roof to escape the heat and to get a better look at the soldiers. He had no weapon, they said.

All the children, when the Army comes at night, they go to the roof to watch them, Al-Kubaysi said. He was just a boy.

The U.S. military says that it is investigating.

"It was dark and the soldier saw a silhouette on a rooftop. He had to make a decision and he engaged. It's a tough call to make. I'm sure the soldier regrets it," said Major Scott Slaten, a spokesman for the Army's 1st Armored Division.

"But what is a 12-year-old boy doing on a rooftop with an AK-47? We've seen some cases where adults are using the child to carry their weapons. In the dark, when there is no electricity, a 12-year-old and a 20-year-old often look the same," Slaten said. "We all hate that this has happened. But we're not admitting guilt in any way, shape or form. He had a weapon." ...

On the ground, the soldier took off his helmet and sat on the ground, witnesses said. He pointed his gun at anyone who tried to approach or speak to him, they said.

Slaten defended the soldier, saying he may not have understood what the neighbors were trying to tell him. A hand pointing out a child could have also been pointing out a sniper.

"There were neighbors pointing to the roof, but there wasn't a translator," Slaten said.

Read the entire heartbraking thing here.