A grandmother, allegedly fearful for her life, shot her teenaged grandson to death in her home and has been charged with of possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and murder, as reported by several news sites including the Detroit Free Press.
S.L., 74, allegedly shot her grandson, J.H., 17, five times on May 18 before he succumbed to his wounds. The boy, in calling a 911 operator, said, "My grandma shot me. I'm going to die, help."
A recording made of the 911 call was played during S.L.'s preliminary examination. Approximately three hours later, S.L. was bound over for criminal charges in the 48th District Court in Bloomfield Township.
Oakland County Deputy Medical Examiner Ruben Ortiz-Reyes testified that J.H. received three gunshot wounds in the chest, one in his abdomen and one in his left arm.
S.L. was represented by attorney Jerome Sabbota. Sabbota argued that his client was afraid of her grandson, and he was living with her while his parents had moved to Arizona.
Sabbota alleged that J.H. had been on probation after being charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Sabbota further stated that J.H. had tested positive for K2 or Spice – a synthetic form of marijuana – following his death.
Ortiz-Reyes confirmed that trace amounts of the synthetic marijuana was found in J.H.'s urine. Additionally, according to Ortiz-Reyes, there were no traces of the drug in J.H.'s blood.
Earlier this year, in March, there are police records indicating that S.L. was having difficulty with J.H. After an argument S.L. telephoned the police. Sabbota describes his client as "fearful" of her grandson at the time.
In the 911 recording, after J.H. told the operator he had been shot, he was told to keep breathing. After some silence on the other end, the dispatcher can be heard calling out, "Sir? Sir?" and then J.H. screamed his response, "I got shot again. Help, help, please help."
Also overheard on the recording is a voice asking many times to be "let go". Sabbota argued that it was his client that was pleading with J.H. as he was "holding her and (he's) not letting go."
Officers arriving on scene overheard multiple gunshots coming from inside of the home, which drove the officers to take cover and order the occupants to come outside.
S.L. then exited the home, and according to officers, she screamed out that she had "murdered (her) grandson". S.L.'s clothing and hands were smeared in blood and, while she was being seated in the police cruiser, she had grown hysterical.
Once in the home officers detected a bloody handgun near the front door – that had one live round still in the chamber – the haze of gunpowder, and a trail of blood that led to J.H. facedown in an upstairs loft.
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