‘Neighborhood auntie’ regrets close bond with man accused of killing teen breaking into cars
Neighbors said the teen was trying to break into a white van at the time of the shooting.
GALLATIN, Tenn. (WSMV)- An affidavit shows new details about what led up to a shooting that killed a Gallatin teen Sunday night.
Adrian Wilkerson, 20, is facing second-degree murder charges after he allegedly shot and killed a teen that was allegedly breaking into cars.
The affidavit shows Sunday night’s shooting happened near a white van.
That van belongs to Candice Wright, who proudly calls herself the neighborhood auntie.
”I’ve watched Adrian and all the kids grow out here grow up,” Wright said.
Wright said Wilkerson was always willing to help.
“Adrian gave his best from the moment I met him growing up out here in the community,” Wright said. “It’s always been ‘Yes ma’am,’ ‘Ms. Candice do you need help?’“
Wright said Wilkerson did so much for her that she wanted to pay it forward.
“I just gifted him a beautiful picnic on Friday because of the help that he does for my business he wants to ask his girlfriend to be his girlfriend kids don’t do that these days…it’s just the connection that I had with him,” Wright said.
But now she regrets that close bond.
“It’s hard for me to say that if it was anybody else’s car, I don’t know if Adrian would’ve did that but he would have,” Wright said. “But because it was my van he’s like, ‘Not Miss Candice’s van.’”
After learning of the shooting, Wright said it makes her like she wishes she didn’t know him to where he would have protected her stuff.
”We are praying for this young man and his family because he was a child and our hearts go out to him no matter what no matter what crime he was committing,” Wright said.
New details from the affidavit show Wilkerson was shot at first.
But, police said in the court document that since Wilkerson ran after the teen, the teen was no longer an immediate threat. Then police say Wilkerson manipulated the firearm before officers arrived.
Now his mom believes her son is being painted as a monster and she believes that is simply untrue.
She said, ”To know my son is to know he is a protector before anything.”
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