Henry McCarty (September 17 or November 23, 1859 – July 14, 1881), alias William H. Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid, was an American outlaw and gunfighter of the Old West who is alleged to have killed 21 men before he was shot and killed at the age of 21.[3][4] He is also known for his involvement in New Mexico's Lincoln County War, during which he allegedly committed three murders.McCarty was orphaned at the age of 15. His first arrest was for stealing food at the age of 16 in 1875.