Teen accidentally shoots, kills mother while trying to stop stepdad from hitting her
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A 17-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed his mother last month while trying to get his stepdad to stop hitting her, according to recently filed court documents. The stepdad has since been charged with the woman's death.
The shooting happened on April 18 at an apartment near the intersection of N. 15th St. and W. Cherry St. Initially, police only said two people, ages 26 and 34, suffered non-fatal injuries.
However, a criminal complaint filed Friday in Milwaukee County Circuit Court revealed the 34-year-old victim died from her injuries on April 22. Officials have yet to release her name, and the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office did not respond Tuesday to messages seeking to confirm the victim's identity.
The other person shot, 26-year-old Ziare Dalton, was hospitalized with multiple gunshot wounds. Dalton was charged Friday with felony murder in connection to the woman's death.
Charging documents cite an interview with an 11-year-old boy who was in the home when the shooting happened, as well as the 911 call made by the victim.
The child told investigators Dalton was hitting his mother, and there was "a lot of yelling, bad words, and things dropping." At that point, the boy's 17-year-old older brother, identified as J.G. in the complaint, got into an argument with Dalton and followed him downstairs with a gun.
Investigators said they retrieved a recording of the 911 call, and the mother could be heard telling the dispatcher he had been hitting her and was now hitting her son. The 911 call then captured approximately 10 gunshots before disconnecting.
A woman at the apartment next door, who only wished to be identified by her initials, R.R.R., told a CBS 58 reporter that Dalton went to her unit for help after he'd been shot. She then realized her neighbor, the mother, had been shot in the head and was lying in her apartment.
"I know it wasn't intentional, you know what I mean? I know the bullet wasn't for her," she said.
R.R.R. said she hadn't heard a lot of commotion because she was on the other side of her apartment, but she did hear about 10 gunshots before Dalton came for help.
She described her neighbor as a good mother and also someone who was pleasant in their interactions.
"She was a sweetheart," R.R.R. said. "She was kind, lovable, respectful. She was a neighbor, like, some people don't like their neighbors and be like, 'Ooh, I can't wait for them to move,' but I be looking forward to my neighbor, like, 'Hey girl!'"
R.R.R. said the victim leaves behind four children, and the youngest had only recently started to walk.
"Kids love their mother, you know what I mean? And they'll do everything to protect them," she said. "But I just hate that it happened that way."
Carmen Pitre, president of Sojourner Family Peace Center, said it was a tragic incident, but she added it's unfortunately fairly common for kids to either get hurt or hurt someone else while trying to interrupt domestic violence. Pitre said the incident underscored the importance of speaking up once domestic violence starts happening in a home.
"If you're a young person who's struggling at home with this type of violence, find a safe person to talk to," Pitre said. "A pastor, a relative, a friend, a teacher, so that you can begin to get some emotional support, some connection and some resources."
The son has also been charged; court records show he's charged with possession of a firearm by a person who'd been adjudicated delinquent of a felony as a juvenile.
"It's sad. It's a real sad situation," R.R.R. said. "But to know that your son did it trying to defend you? That's a hard pill to swallow, you know what I mean?"
Online court records state there's a warrant out for Dalton's arrest. A spokesperson for Froedtert Hospital said Tuesday she did not have any information about a patient by that name.