Boy killed in Monroe shooting was innocent bystander, mother says

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The mother of a 12-year-old who was shot and killed on a neighborhood street in Monroe said he was an innocent bystander.

Monroe police arrested and charged a 17-year-old after the deadly shooting that happened during a fight Saturday night on Skywatch Lane.

READ MORE: 17-year-old charged in shooting that killed boy during street fight in Monroe, police say

Messiah Barrino was watching the fight and was struck by a bullet.

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“His smile was bright. He lit up the room. Everybody loved him. He was a good kid,” said Danielle Blount, the boy’s mother.

She was often his TikTok videographer.

Saturday morning’s was the last one she would have filmed of her son. About 12 hours later, Messiah would be in a hospital fighting for his life after being shot.

“It just hurts me so bad they did that to my baby because he didn’t deserve it,” Blount said.

The fight outside their home involved two girls, and Blount’s doorbell camera caught what happened.

“After they fought, whoever was with them, started shooting and the first bullet that they shot, hit my baby,” Blount said.

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Messiah was with a group of kids who were outside to watch the fight. His mother said he wasn’t involved. After hearing the shots, she came outside.

“My baby was face down on the ground,” she said. “The only thing I could do was talk to him and I was praying, ‘God please don’t take my baby. This is not his time. He has his life to live. It’s not right. It’s not right.’”

Messiah was a student at Monroe Middle School. He was also an athlete and loved to play football.

“He was doing great. He made the all-A honor roll and then he ended up being ‘Student of the Month’ through two teachers,” Blount said.

Blount said she is trying to cope with her son’s death.

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“It’s hard because you know he didn’t deserve it,” she said. “He didn’t deserve it. It hurts me to my heart that my baby’s life got took so early.”

>>Click here if you would like to help Messiah’s family.

Another child was hurt in the street fight, police said.

The name of the 17-year-old has not been released because he’s a juvenile but was charged as an adult with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and discharging a firearm into occupied property.

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