Family of dead teen asks for stiffer sentence of accused shooter

The father of a slain 13-year-old says he doesn't believe the accused shooter's apology as they call for a stiffer punishment.

They claim they’ve been disrespected, even threatened, after what police call an accidental shooting at the hands of another teen. 

Deon Williams was just 13 when a bullet ended his life.

“A 13-year-old kid who loved his mother and daddy, that's how I remember him,” said Donald Williams, Deon’s father.

Now, Donald feels his son did not get justice at juvenile court, where the teen who pulled the trigger was sentenced to probation.

Deon was killed in March while hanging with friends and relatives at a house in the Englewood neighborhood. In court, we learned the 15-year-old accused shooter said the gun accidentally went off as he struggled to take it from someone else. 

“That statement he gave the courtroom about wrestling with the gun was the first time anybody heard that statement,” said Donald. 

The judge at the juvenile court told the accused shooter he cannot undo those moments of stupidity.

She sentenced him to three years of probation plus 150 hours of community service and ordered him to stay away from drugs, gangs and guns. 

But the victim’s father doesn't think it's enough. 

“I feel she should have at least detained him to let him know this was serious, you cannot kill nobody and get away with it,” said Donald. 

The shooter's father wouldn't talk to FOX 32 but apologized to the victim's family, so did the shooter himself.

Yet since this tragedy, Donald says the 15-year-old has violated conditions of his house arrest. And the Williams family has been threatened.

“The individuals were talking to them, if they go to court they were going to burn them, calling them snitches,” said Donald. 

Now, Williams says it's time to move on from this case and focus on memories of his son.