A ten-year-old Wisconsin boy will be tried as an adult after police in Milwaukee charged him with the murder of his 44-year-old mother, after she refused to buy him a heavily priced virtual game headset from Amazon last week.
Quiana Mann, 44, died in her Milwaukee home, near 87th and Hemlock, on November 21 after getting shot in the head at close range. Police have not publicly identified the boy because of his age, but the complaint alleges that he shot his mother in the eye, hid the gun, and then told his older sister that their mother was dead. The 26-year-old sister then called 911.
The boy admitted to the police that he used his mother’s keys to unlock the gun safe and remove the weapon at around 7 am that day. He told investigators that he got angry with his mother because she woke him up at 6 am, earlier than usual, and refused to let him buy the headset from Amazon.
A day after his mother’s death, the complaint alleges that the boy logged into Amazon using his mother’s account to purchase the Oculus Virtual Reality Headset.
After the shooting, the boy told the police he had accidentally shot his mother, and they allowed him to stay with his family.
However, a day after the shooting, the boy’s relatives contacted the police and expressed their concern about the boy’s statement and whether it was true. He allegedly confided to his aunt on November 21 that he had been aiming at his mother, leading the aunt to believe that the murder was intentional and not accidental.
The aunt told the police that the boy was emotionless after his mother’s death when he apologized to her for killing his mother.
His sister also told authorities that the boy had dealt with rage issues his entire life. When he was only four, he tortured his puppy until the dog cried out in pain. The boy also allegedly wanted to burn his home down six months ago, and he started a fire by putting flammable fluid in a balloon and setting it on fire. The fire spread to parts of the living room before being put out.
The family was concerned about the boy’s mental health and one family member told the police the youngster has five imaginary people he talks to. The imaginary people include two little girls that he calls sisters, and he describes one of the girls as also an old woman, and the other as an unpleasant man.
The boy’s mother had decided to seek professional help and took him to a therapist, but she got some concerning news from the mental health professional prompting her to install cameras around the house.
Unfortunately, the cameras were unplugged before the shooting.
Speaking to a reporter, Lueritha Mann, the child’s maternal grandmother, said the boy always hears voices, and everyone who knew them tried to help his mother take care of him.
Mann worked in behavioral health, and the boy is one of her four children.
Wisconsin allows minors 17 or older to be charged as adults, but it is extremely rare for a 10-year-old to be charged as an adult.
The police are charging the boy with first-degree reckless homicide. If convicted, he could get up to 60 years in prison. Bond was set at $50,000 and the child is scheduled to return to court on December 7.