GALLATIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — Parents of a 16-year-old teen are grieving as they try to understand why their son was killed.
Joaniel Ortiz Colon was shot in the back as he ran for his life.
"She feels empty. Her only son and he would always take care of her," said Danelys.
Danelys spoke for her devastated mother and father.
You can watch their story in the player above.
The family moved here from Puerto Rico seven years ago in hopes of a better life. They never imagined the sudden knock on the front door this past weekend.
"The detective said, 'I'm sorry to inform you that Joaniel is deceased.'"
Gallatin police said Adrian Wilkerson shot Joaniel after confronting him for allegedly breaking into a car in the parking lot of the Albright Farms apartment complex.
Paramedics tried to save him, but the teen later died at the hospital.
"The way that they found his body they could tell he was trying to make it home — running away. He was a block short," Danelys said.
Wilkerson told police Joaniel shot at him first, but authorities said there wasn't evidence Joaniel had a gun. Police said that Wilkerson alone fired more than a dozen rounds.
There was no evidence he took anything from any cars.
"You don't shoot someone in the back and try to plead for self-defense," Danelys said.
Your brother was unarmed? I asked.
Yes," Danelys said.
The Sumner County District Attorney said Wilkerson is charged with second-degree murder for shooting the unarmed teen in the back as he tried to run away all for an alleged property crime.
Now a small memorial sits where Joaniel was found.
"His friends knew what to bring ... all of his favorite things. Yeah."
The teen's family is heartbroken and said Joaniel will be sorely missed.
Wilkerson is in the Sumner County jail on a $600,000 bond.
The family now hopes to send Joaniel's body back to Puerto Rico, where most of his family still lives.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help cover the cost. You can find that by tapping this link.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at nick.beres@newschannel5.com
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
