10-year-old upset over VR headset fatally shoots mother; charged as an adult
MILWAUKEE – A 10-year-old boy who shot and killed his 44-year-old mother in Milwaukee last week has been charged as an adult with first-degree homicide.
According to a criminal complaint, the boy was allegedly angry with his mother for waking him up early and not letting him buy something on Amazon.
Related: 10-year-old boy shoots woman near 87th and Hemlock
The fatal shooting happened near 87th Street and Hemlock around 7 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 21. Police initially reported that the boy was playing with a gun when the bullet went off, striking his mother. The woman, Quiana Mann, was shot in the head and died of her injuries.
When the boy was first interviewed, he said he was twirling the gun with his finger and it “accidentally went off,” according to the criminal complaint. After killing his mother, the boy woke his sister, who found her mother dead and called 911.
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Due to his age, the boy was allowed to stay with his family. However, the family contacted the Milwaukee Police Department the next day to express “grave concerns.”
The boy’s 26-year-old sister told detectives that he had “anger issues” his entire life and “imagined having five different people talking to him,” according to the complaint.
The complaint alleges that a therapist previously gave the boy a “concerning diagnosis” and that the boy’s mother placed cameras in the home to monitor him. Two weeks before the woman was murdered, “someone unplugged these cameras.”
The sister also told detectives that the morning after she learned of his mother’s death, the boy logged into his mother’s Amazon account and ordered an Oculus virtual reality headset.
A family member also claimed the boy would grab the puppy by its tail and “shake the puppy until it whined and howled in pain,” according to the complaint. The incident allegedly happened when the boy was four years old.
An aunt told detectives the boy never cried or showed remorse after his mother’s death. The 10-year-old told his aunt that he “actually pointed the gun at his mother,” according to the complaint. The day after his mother died, his aunt said he apologized for killing his mother and then asked if his Amazon package had arrived.
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During a second interview with detectives, the boy allegedly admitted he retrieved the gun because he was angry with her for waking him up early and not letting him buy something on Amazon. He told detectives his mother was walking in front of him when he tried to shoot the wall to “scare her.” The indictment also states that he admitted to getting the keys to his mother’s gun lockbox the night before.
Neighbors described the family as ordinary. Steve Frisch has lived near 87th Street and Hemlock for more than two decades. His quiet neighborhood was rocked last week when police arrested the 10-year-old.
“I’m still surprised when there are shootings happening around here because it’s usually a quiet neighborhood,” Frisch said. “(The family) just asked me how I was doing and stuff like that.”
On Wednesday morning, TMJ4 News asked Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson about the charges the 10-year-old boy is facing.
“Anytime there’s a crime in this city, whether it’s a 10-year-old or someone older, it’s concerning,” Mayor Johnson said. “I don’t want people to get hurt. As for this case, I just learned about it this morning. I got the details.”
The 10-year-old boy was charged with first-degree reckless homicide. If convicted, he faces up to 60 years in prison.
He made his first court appearance on Friday and a $50,000 cash bond was set. He will appear in court on December 7 for a status hearing.
TMJ4 News is choosing not to name the suspect at this time due to his age. Please read our Moving Forward policy here. In Wisconsin, if you are 17 or older, you can be charged as an adult. Charges against those under 17 are rare and those under 10 are almost unheard of.
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