Local

Clayton County mother asks for mercy on 12-year-old accused of killing her son

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — The mother of an 11-year-old boy whom police say was killed by his 12-year-old friend says she doesn’t want the child to face murder charges.

Kendall Munson says her son, Elyjah Munson, and his accused killer were best friends. Munson says she keeps hearing her son in her head telling her not to blame him.

“I’m telling you Elyjah talks to me. He said, ‘Mommy, he stupid for what he did. He didn’t mean to do it,’” Munson said.

Munson doesn’t think the 12-year-old should face murder charges.

“And as Elyjah’s mother I’m not going to allow him to face those charges,” she explained to Channel 2′s Tom Jones.

Clayton County police have not released the boy’s name. He faces murder and aggravated assault charges in the Dec. 9 shooting on Westbury Drive.

Neighbors on that street say Elyjah, the 12-year-old and other boys were playing after school that day. They say the 12-year-old began playing with a gun. Neighbors say he pointed it at Elyjah’s head, Elyjah jerked away and that’s when he was shot in the head. Elyjah’s 12-year-old brother watched him get shot.

“My baby is mentally messed up his brother is gone,” his mother said.

Munson says the 12-year-old was best friends with her son and she said a neighbor told her the shooting was an accident. Munson has sympathy for the 12-year-old accused shooter.

“That baby already 12. He got to face the fact that he killed his friend.”

TRENDING STORIES:

She doesn’t want him to face that fact in prison. Munson admits he shouldn’t have had a gun. But she says sending him to prison solves nothing.

“I lost mine. I’m not gonna allow that lady to lose hers,” she said.

Munson says the issue here is too many kids have easy access to guns and the lack of gun safety training. Jones asked the Clayton County D.A. if the boy’s parents could face charges since he allegedly had that gun. Tasha Mosley said this is all still under investigation and her office is still putting their case together.

CLICK HERE to contribute to a GoFundMe account set up to help the family with expenses.