'Just a kid': Milwaukee mother mourns son, 11, fatally shot near 68th and Silver Spring

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A Milwaukee family is mourning the loss of an 11-year-old boy who was shot and killed Tuesday night on the city's north side.

According to police, a 13-year-old boy was arrested in connection to the shooting.

Officials first responded around 6:45 p.m. to the area of 68th and Silver Spring, but despite efforts, the child was pronounced deceased at a local hospital. 

On Wednesday, the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office identified the victim as Deon M. Sargent, a student at Andrew Douglas Middle School. 

“We called him Mister. That was my Mister," said Brittany Butcher, Sargent's mother. “My baby was just a kid, you know.”

Butcher said her son loved learning, hanging out with family, making TikTok videos, and playing sports.

“He was number 10 and he was playing football, and he was going to be a wide receiver that he wanted to be," Butcher said, noting that her son had also enrolled in Milwaukee Public Schools. "Just happy all the time."

While the cause of the shooting is still being investigated, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said police told him the boys were wrestling over a gun when it went off. 

“He had a mother that loved him and cared for him. My son was never in trouble," Butcher said. “He was a lovable person, and at the age of 11 he knew a lot of people, and he left his mark on this earth. Can’t nobody say they didn’t know Mister.”

Loved ones said they plan to hold a balloon release and vigil at 6 p.m. on Wednesday night, near the scene of the shooting.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Milwaukee police at (414) 935-7360 or, to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-TIPS or P3 Tips.