A 10-year-old boy who is accused of killing his mom over a virtual reality headset has reportedly asked his family to keep an eye on his gadgets while he is in jail.
The Milwaukee boy is being charged as an adult with first-degree reckless homicide because he allegedly shot his mother, Quiana Mann, in the face on November 21 when she refused to buy him a VR headset.
A source said that the boy had been going to therapy for more than a year to deal with his mood and behavior problems. A part of the treatment was to limit the amount of time spent in front of screens and on tech devices.
Another source said that the boy’s aunt, Rhonda Reid, said he doesn’t remember the shooting and that when she talks to him in jail, he changes the subject to his devices.
Reports about the terrible event say that the boy shot his mother around 7:00 a.m. after she told him she wouldn’t buy him a new VR headset on Amazon. Police say that the boy told them that he was also angry that his mom woke him up at 6:00 AM.
Soon after he allegedly shot his mom, the boy is said to have used her credit card to order a new headset from Amazon.
This week, the boy’s family talked to a Milwaukee news station, TMJ4, about the terrible event. Reporters asked Reid if she thought her nephew could hurt his mother.
No, absolutely, not,
she said, before adding:
He was upset about these [electronic] devices being taken away […] When he calls, he’s just like, ‘make sure all my tablets and laptop and everything of mine is packaged.’
She says that when she tries to talk to her nephew about the shooting while he is in juvenile detention, he quickly changes the subject. Reid also said that her nephew is too young to understand how serious the charges are and what they could mean for him.
I can’t believe Quiana Mann’s GFM hasn’t hit its goal yet. https://t.co/pavPKooRXd
— Lenée, a Libra (she/ her) (@dopegirlfresh) December 6, 2022
But the boy’s grandmother has since said that it’s too hard for her to talk to her grandson. Lueritha Mann said:
He needs to pay for what he’s done,
adding that she hopes to be able to talk to him one day.
I hope I do one day, but right now no. He took something very precious from me,
she said.
The boy’s lawyer, Angela Cunningham, asked for his bail to be cut from $50,000 to $100, which is how much money was in his piggy bank, a source said earlier this month.
We have spoken to him about his ability to post anything. He told us about piggy banks with savings that he had from gifts, from birthday gifts. And scavenging through cushions in the couch that he’s been able to save up,
she had told the outlet.
Judge Jane Carroll turned down the boy’s request, and she also told him he couldn’t leave the country if he was able to pay bail.
