The Killing of Tyre Nichols Is Simply A Microcosm of a Much Larger Issue Introduction
Family of 10-year-old boy charged with killing mother speaks out while child remains in custody!
The boy is accused of killing his mom over a virtual reality headset
Updated: 5:39 PM CST Dec 19, 2022 | Courtesy of WISN ABC
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MILWAUKEE —
Rhonda Reid says her world was shattered on Nov. 21.
"We've pretty much been shaken, shaken to our core," Reid told WISN 12 News' Hillary Mintz in an exclusive sit-down interview Monday.
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Prosecutors say a 10-year-old boy shot and killed his mother, Quiana Mann, inside their home near 87th and Hemlock streets.
Prosecutors said the boy was upset his mother woke him up early and also refused to buy him a virtual reality headset from Amazon.
Mann's family wants to set the record straight, telling WISN 12 News that the fourth-grader, who is now charged as an adult, was actively in treatment for his behavioral issues.
"I think the biggest misconception is that it was over a VR Oculus headset. It was recommended by his treatment providers that cellphones, electronic devices be limited because of the violent games that he was he was playing. So she was literally following his treatment plan when she decided to take his electronic devices. And that is what upset him," Reid said.
The boy is currently being held in the juvenile detention center. Reid says she talks to her nephew daily.
"He calls daily and we have talks. He's not expressed any remorse to me," Reid said.
Some advocacy groups have expressed outrage the young boy is being charged as an adult, which is required by state law in a crime such as this.
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"Do you feel he should be charged as an adult?" Mintz asked.
"I feel like I understand why he was charged as an adult. The things that he's admitted to me, the things that he's admitted to law enforcement, his competency levels. So there's behavioral issues, but there's nothing in his history to indicate that there's wrong with his comprehension," Reid said.
Lueritha Mann said she feels like she's lost two children, her daughter and her grandson.
"Some days are better than others," Mann said.
"Did you ever think your grandson, your nephew, would be capable of something like this?" Mintz asked the boy's aunt and grandmother.
"I knew he was capable of something, but not this harsh," Mann said.
Mann said her 44-year-old daughter was a mother to four children and was set to graduate with an MBA in May.
"She loved being a mother," Mann said of her daughter.
The family said one of the toughest parts of being thrust into the national spotlight with the viral story was having to read the online comments and criticism.
"It was the most difficult thing was to see her parenting be put on trial as if she did something wrong," Reid said.
Right now, they say being locked up is the safest place for him.
"We just don't know, like, what his mental state is and what he's capable of. So for me, as it stands, that is the best place for him to be," Reid said.
The boy is scheduled to be back in court in January for his preliminary hearing.
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