MARION, Ind. — Toni Dennis said her family hasn't been the same since her son, Byron Otis Dennis Jr., was killed.
"It's been hard. I'll be honest I haven't slept since I got that phone call. Every waking moment I'm thinking about my son," Toni said.
Byron, 24, was shot and killed at a Circle K gas station in Marion on March 11. Police said the person who pulled the trigger was 13-year-old Zaiden Guy.
"I cannot believe that. Can you believe that? When the police told me that, I was in utter shock. A 13-year-old. Did you say that right?" Toni said.
Toni said her son was shot after he got into a fight with the 13-year-old after the teen allegedly tried to steal Byron's gun. During the scuffle, Toni said the teen got ahold of Byron's gun and shot him with it.
"It's affected us tremendously. It's very hard as a mom to lose a child," Toni said.
Guy is now being charged as an adult in the deadly shooting, facing charges including:
- Two counts of murder
- One count of robbery resulting in serious bodily injury
- One count of unlawful carrying of a handgun
- One count of theft
- One count of criminal recklessness
Toni said she feels for the teen's mother but believes these charges are the right call.
"As far as an adult being charged with murder, it fits the crime. You have to suffer the consequences of it. You get what you deserve. My son didn't deserve what happened to him at all," Toni said.
But as the family gears up to relive the tragedy in court, they're focused on remembering everything they lost.
"Byron was a very charismatic person. Immediately, you meet him, and you are automatically drawn in. He was very intellectually smart. Kindhearted. He's the type of person who would give his shirt off his back to you," Toni said.