Boy, 11, to stand trial in mother’s homicide
By Nick Bohr
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MILWAUKEE (WISN) — A Milwaukee boy charged with killing his mother over a virtual reality headset is ordered to stand trial. He was 10 years old when investigators say he shot Quiana Mann to death on Nov. 21, 2022, at the family home at 87th and Magnolia.
The boy, who is now 11, is charged in adult court despite his age due to the seriousness of the criminal charge, First Degree Intentional Homicide.
The now 11-year-old boy very much looks his age, despite facing the most serious felony there is, first-degree intentional homicide. By court order, WISN 12 News is not identifying the child.
Milwaukee police were called to his home for what was first thought to be an accidental shooting. They found the body of the boy’s 44-year-old mother in the basement. She’d been shot in the head. A detective on the scene that day recalled in court Tuesday his conversation with the boy about what happened.
“Originally, he informed me he wasn’t sure what had occurred, just that he found his mother in the basement, and she was deceased,” testified Detective Tim Keller.
Sitting in court, as the boy alternately played with a toy and colored, the detective testified that he did question him the next day. It’s then, he said, the 10-year-old admitted shooting her, but called it an accident.
“He stated that he took up a shooting stance and pointed the gun at her as she was walking towards him and asking him to put it down. And that’s when he indicated he fired the gun with his intent to scare her by shooting the wall behind her,” Keller said.
And, chillingly, according to the criminal complaint, relatives told police there could be a possible motive. “He had made a purchase on his mother’s Amazon account, for some virtual reality goggles the morning after this homicide occurred. They were concerned because he had had an argument with her about whether he could have these prior to the homicide,” Keller said.
As the hearing concluded, Judge Jane Carroll ordered the boy to stand trial. His public defenders indicated they plan to file a motion to move his case to the Juvenile Justice system, which would subject him to much less severe penalties.
He remains in custody at the Juvenile Detention Center on $50,000 bail.
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