GULFPORT, Miss — Taking her grief to social media, Katrina Mateen is dealing with the shooting of her son Jaheim McMillan, 15, who was shot in the head Thursday during a shooting involving Gulfport police.
“I want my son,” cried Mateen in a social media video. “Why? Why?”
The shooting happened after police chief Adam Cooper says there were reports of people pointing guns at passing cars. He says the car those people were in was pulled over near the Family Dollar on Pass Road.
“They then fled from the vehicle. One of our officers engaged with an armed individual, shots were fired, the suspect was taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound," Cooper said.
While Cooper wouldn’t confirm it, Mateen says it was a bullet from an officer that hit her son. She questions the police account of her son being armed and says the shooting left him brain dead. After a couple of days on life support, he was taken off it over the weekend. It’s a reality Mateen hoped wouldn’t happen.
“I feel like if he’s got a chance then I’m not going to pull the plug on him. He can come back maybe. If he can, I’m going to give him that chance,” said Mateen during an interview Friday.
Sunday, red, black and white balloons dotted the sky in memory of McMillan.
“Justice for Jaheim,” shouted people in attendance as the balloons floated into the sky.
Also over the weekend there was a vigil at the Family Dollar. Candles were placed outside the doors and signs were posted on the windows.
“They’re doing this for you baby. We’re not stopping until we get justice baby,” said one attendee during a Facebook Live video. “They took your life baby and we ain’t stopping.”
McMillian had just started his freshman year at Gulfport High School, where school leaders say counseling services were available to students who need them on Monday.
Since the shooting, the story has spread across social media, including photos of McMillian in the hospital and a Facebook Live video of who appears to be McMillian lying on the ground motionless after being shot.
“We’re outraged, we’re heartbroken. Tired is not the word. We’re passed tired,” said community activist Marquell Bridges.
It’s all left a community wanting answers they say they’re not getting.
A handful of other teenagers were also arrested and charged with aggravated assault. The Gulfport Police Department referred all questions to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation since that agency is leading the investigation. As of this Monday afternoon MBI hadn’t released any details.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.