BALTIMORE — At 15-years-old, Jaileel Jones will be buried by his mother Andrea Queen and she's furious at the world for that.
Baltimore City Police say Jones was shot and killed by a 14-year-old boy after an argument.
“As mad as I am that he took my sons life I feel bad for him also,” Queen said. “I just wish for him to get some help for whatever he’s going through to make him feel like he should be able to take lives.”
We’re not going to say the 14-year-old's name because he is a juvenile.
His mother said the teen who shot him wasn’t his friend and he hardly knew him.
He was arrested and charged with 1st degree murder and other charges.
Jaileel was a kid on the right path.
“He was not a bully in the streets, he was not a drug dealer, he was not a school drop out,” Queen said. "He was a fun, loving, caring 15-year-old.”
He shook hands with the Mayor and Police commissioner and was part of community clean ups with Safe Streets.
“He wanted to be a nurse. He was getting ready to start the nursing program at Carver next year. He wanted to help people.”
Marques Dent is Jaileel’s uncle and was about to coach his baseball team.
“Ja was really a leader,” said Dent. “He frequently attended a lot of the events we did with the police department, he always helped out with our Easter egg hunt, and our turkey drives and our breakfast with Santa.”
The entire neighborhood is rallying around the family, but during a week when several young people have been shot everyone wants to see our adults do better for our young people.
“Live on each other, respect each other’s life. Do not take a temporary situation and use a permanent solution like murder,” said Dent. “That is cowardly and that is something that should not be going on in our city.”
We are all tired of coming together after the trigger is pulled.
“They need more of the people to get on the news and say he was a killer, he was a robber, help them,” Queen said. “ Help these kids and maybe this city will turn around.”
Jaileel has five siblings including a younger brother who is also 14.
Jaileel's funeral is set for next weekend.
According to charging documents the 14-year-old who shot him is scheduled to be in court on March 24.
