By Aaron Miller-
A demented 10-year-old boy with serious mental health issues shot and killed his mother because she would not buy him a virtual reality headset.
The boy at first claimed the shooting was an accident, but later admitted he intentionally aimed the gun at his mother because he was mad at her for waking him up early and not letting him get something on Amazon.
He told detectives his mum walked in front of him when he tried to shoot the wall to “scare her.”
The complaint also says he admitted to getting his mother’s keys for the gun lock box the night before.
The 10-year-old has been charged with first-degree reckless homicide and faces a maximum of 60 years in prison if convicted.
He had his initial appearance in court on Friday, Nov. 25, and a cash bond of $50,000 was set. He will appear in court for a status hearing on Dec. 7.
He allegedly logged into her Amazon account and ordered a headset the morning after she died, according to his aunt and sister, who claim he has not cried or showed any remorse.
The mother identified as Quiana Mann was shot in the head and died from her injuries at her residence near 87th and Hemlock around 7 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 21.
Police initially reported the boy was playing with the gun when it discharged, striking his mum in the head which resulted in her death before all the facts were later discovered following subsequent questioning of the boy.
Wisconsin law requires children as young as 10 to be charged as adults for certain serious crimes, though the boy’s attorneys can seek to move the case to juvenile court. The boy, who family members said has mental health issues, is being held in juvenile detention.
“This is an absolute family tragedy,” said Angela Cunningham, one of the boy’s attorneys. “I don’t think anybody would deny or disagree with that … The adult system is absolutely ill-equipped to address the needs of a 10-year-old child.”
The shooting occurred shortly before 7 a.m. on Nov. 21. According to the complaint, the boy initially told officers he got the gun from his mother’s bedroom and went to the basement where she was doing laundry. He said he was twirling the gun around his finger when it went off. The boy was allowed to stay with family, and an initial release from police says the shooting was caused by a child “playing” with a gun.
He was charged as an adult with first-degree reckless homicide and is in juvenile detention.
The incident happened just before 7am on 21 November in the city of Milwaukee in Wisconsin.
State law requires children as young as 10 to be charged as adults for certain serious crimes, but lawyers can request the case is moved to a juvenile court.
One of the boy’s lawyers, Angela Cunningham, said: “This is an absolute family tragedy.
“I don’t think anybody would deny or disagree with that… the adult system is absolutely ill-equipped to address the needs of a 10-year-old child.”
The boy reportedly told officers he got the gun from his mother’s bedroom and went down to the basement where she was doing laundry, according to criminal charges seen by the Journal Sentinel, a local newspaper.
Milwaukee Police initially said that the boy was “playing” with the gun when it fired, fatally injuring his mother.
The force said the incident would be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney General’s Office for review and reminded the public to “keep firearms secured with a gunlock and out of the reach of children”.
The boy, who is said to have a history of “disturbing behaviour”, including swinging a puppy around by its tail when he was four.
His family told police he filled a balloon with flammable liquid and set it alight, causing an explosion that burned furniture and the carpet.
When questioned by his family, the boy said he hears imaginary people talking to him.
He also physically attacked his seven-year-old cousin on the day of the shooting.
In a second interview with police, he said he tried shooting a wall to “scare her” when she walked in front of him and was wounded, according to the charge sheet.
He also told them he took the gun because his mother woke him up 30 minutes earlier than usual, at 6am, that day.