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Indy teen arrested in connection to shooting death of 15-year-old boy

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An Indianapolis woman is demanding justice after learning the teenager accused of shooting her 15-year-old son was arrested and charged as a juvenile.

Police arrested a 16-year-old boy, who has been charged with reckless homicide in the death of 15-year-old Dewaun Rockingham.

Kaiyana Rockingham told 24-Hour News 8 she last saw her 15-year-old son in her dreams.

“It makes me feel crazy but I talked to him, he comes to me you know,” she said, “He just said ‘momma don’t let it go because it was no accident’.”

The shooting happened inside of a home near Wallace Avenue and 33rd Street in June. Witnesses told investigators at the time the 15-year-old boy shot himself while playing with a gun. His mother said that’s wrong.

“He just wasn’t that type of child so I knew at that point when they said he had shot himself in the face that didn’t happen,” she said.

The coroner’s office ruled his death a homicide. Nearly four months have passed since his death.

“I want everybody to put themselves in my predicament to know how I feel,” Kaiyana Rockingham said, “My son is gone and he’s never coming back. All I could do is look at pictures, I will never hear his voice again never.”

Rockingham said she reached out to the detective handling the case and learned last week they have made an arrest.

“It was not a reckless homicide it was murder,” she said. “It was murder.”

Rockingham said the detective told her the 16-year-old boy was being charged as a juvenile and not an adult.

“Being charged as a juvenile with what he’s going to be charged with is going to be a slap on the wrist,” she said.

Rockingham knows the 16-year-old boy and his family. She said her heart breaks because both families have been longtime friends.

“I still love him, don’t hate him you know I don’t hate him,” she said. “I want him to get help but with that being said I still need justice for my child.”

24-Hour News 8 reached out to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office for a comment. A spokesperson told us in an email they are looking into the case and will get back to us.

Rockingham said her son donated his organs and helped to save four lives.

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