gun violence

Mother Mourns 13-Year-Old Killed in Maryland; Asks for Help in Search for Shooter

“My fear is that... tomorrow or next week, we’re gonna stop talking about it. And we still have to live on with that loss,” Juanita Agnew said. “And whoever did it walks free, and that shouldn’t be.”

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The mother of a 13-year-old boy gunned down in his own yard in Hillcrest Heights, Maryland, is asking the public for help finding whoever killed her son. 

Jayz Agnew, an 8th grader, was critically injured in a shooting on Nov. 8 in the 2100 block of Jameson Street at about 5:20 p.m., Prince George's County police said. He was raking leaves and his father had been doing yard work with him just minutes before it happened. 

“His dad was gone, he said, maybe five minutes. Then he heard the gunshots, and he ran out, and then he saw Jayz on the ground,” the teen’s mother, Juanita Agnew, said. 

He died on Friday. 

Juanita Agnew said Jayz was an easygoing boy who was not involved in any trouble. 

“I would call him goofy, fun-loving. Very, very calm and relaxed, and never took anything seriously,” she said. 

No arrests have been made in the case, and police have not provided a potential motive. 

Family members are concerned about their safety.

“We are not staying in our residence because I’m scared. I’m scared to go back to my house, and I don’t want to have to relive that every single moment. So it’s really hard for us,” Juanita Agnew said. 

The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help with expenses. They also want to bring awareness to gun violence, and make sure Jayz’s murder doesn’t end up a cold case. 

“My fear is that.. tomorrow or next week, we’re gonna stop talking about it. And we still have to live on with that loss,” Juanita Agnew said. “And whoever did it walks free, and that shouldn’t be.”

She is asking anyone with video that could help in the investigation to come forward.

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