The uncle of a 5-year-old girl in Wisconsin has admitted to the police that he was responsible for the drive-by shooting that hurt his niece, Ke'yari Redding, who remains in critical condition at the hospital.
On Sunday, July 24, 2022, John Anthony Jackson Jr., 29, drove and opened fire at the home of Deonte Redding-Harris, the father of Jackson's niece. The shooter said he pulled his gun because he was "fed up" with his brother-in-law, per People.
Redding-Harris was sleeping on the couch when he heard a dozen gunfire outside his home. The father got up to find his daughter bleeding on the floor.
Police and emergency services were called to the scene and performed CPR on the 5-year-old, who was later brought to the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.
Redding-Harris told police that he saw Jackson's car driving out of the scene. That night, police went to Jackson's place, and he then confessed to what he did.
The child is limp and has no movement
Mary Franklin, the grandmother of Redding-Harris, told CBS 58 that she was also at home when the drive-by shooting happened. There were three other children and two adults living there as well.
Franklin said she was in the bedroom when she heard the gunshots and started screaming. When she got out of her room, she found her grandson holding her great-grandchild.
"She is limp, I mean no movement, no nothing," Franklin said. The grandmother doesn't understand Jackson's motives.
The child's mother, Asia Jackson, was informed by doctors at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin that her daughter might be paralyzed and unable to walk on her own as a bullet hit her chest and then went through her spine. Asia said her child is brave and strong despite a long road ahead for her recovery.
"She has to wear a front and back brace and leg braces for a while so her bones don't shift in her spine," the mother shared in an update on her Facebook profile. "If they start shifting she'll need surgery to have something put in her back to support her standing and sitting up."
Asia hasn't commented about her brother, who has been charged with reckless injury and recklessly endangering safety.
"My life is over"
John Anthony said his life was over when the police told him of his niece's condition. He feared he could be "locked up forever."
The shooter has known his niece's father since his relationship with Asia in 2012. John Anthony said he didn't know if he hit anyone when he fired at the house, but he knew it was where Redding-Harris lived.
John Anthony had his initial court appearance on Friday, July 29. If convicted of the charges against him, he could face a maximum prison time of 37.5 years.
Meanwhile, Asia's family has set up a GoFundMe for her daughter's hospitalization and other future therapies.
