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Tre’Michael, a 9-year-old Louisiana boy, was shot by his 10-year-old friend at a home in Alexandria, cops say (GoFundMe).
A tragic incident unfolded last month in Louisiana, where a 9-year-old boy was reportedly shot by his 10-year-old friend. Initially considered an accident, the situation is now being seen as intentional.
The Alexandria Police Department was alerted to the shooting on December 6, around 11:45 a.m., at a residence located on Chester Street. Upon arrival, officers discovered the young victim with a gunshot wound and quickly transported him to a hospital, where he was listed in critical condition.
Early reports suggested the shooting occurred while the boys were handling the firearm carelessly. However, the narrative shifted dramatically when the injured boy regained his ability to speak.
“Once the tube was removed from his mouth, his first words to me were, ‘Mama, Mama, he shot me on purpose,'” recounted Lakisha Ledguies, the boy’s mother, in an interview with local NBC affiliate KALB.
Ledguies expressed her disbelief and shock over the revelation, struggling to comprehend the situation as it unfolded.
“I lost it,” she told the TV station. “Not my baby. Not my baby.”
Cops now say the shooting was intentional, per KALB. The 10-year-old boy was reportedly arrested for aggravated battery and juvenile in possession of a firearm. He was taken to a youth detention center.
Investigators have yet to say how the suspect obtained the gun, but Ledguies said she heard it came from a family member.
The victim, Tre’Michael, lost his right kidney, half a lung and “his intestines were shattered by the bullet,” his uncle said in a GoFundMe account description.
“Our family is still in shock, and every day brings new challenges as he fights to recover from this traumatic event,” Courtney Blake wrote. “The road ahead is long and filled with uncertainty.”
Blake said his nephew was released from the hospital a couple of days after Christmas.
Police did not name the suspect because of his age. The case remains ongoing.
Ledguies said the shooting was avoidable and urged parents of young kids to follow this simple piece of advice.
“Take the guns away. Take them away. They don’t need them,” she said.
