The mother of a 14-year-old boy who was found shot in the head Monday evening said her son is sedated and is in intensive care at Children's Hospital in Little Rock.
As Dione Bates spoke over the phone, the frustration was apparent in her voice as she recalled the events she encountered when she received the phone call that her son, Damareyon Harris, had been injured by gunfire.
According to the Pine Bluff Police Department, at 6:19 p.m. Monday, police were sent to 1707 S. Oak St. in reference to a male being shot. The responding officer said he needed someone to go to Jefferson Regional Medical Center because the victim was en route to the hospital in a white Toyota Camry.
Officer Deondre Goodwin stated in the report that he intercepted the car at the hospital and talked to the driver who said she had been driving when she spotted a Black male lying on the ground in the area of 1707 S. Oak St. The woman apparently took the boy to the Jefferson Regional Medical Center, based on information in the report.
The boy had been shot in the head and was being operated on at JRMC when Goodwin entered the emergency room, according to a police report.
"On Monday, I got the phone call from a young lady telling me my son had got shot in the head and hurry up and get to the hospital and that is what I did," said Bates, who talked to The Commercial on Thursday morning. Bates said she was initially told he had three gunshots to the head. "They did the CT scan and it was only one," she said. "When he got shot he fell and busted his head so that caused a large abrasion on his forehead."
As of Tuesday afternoon, no one had been arrested in the shooting, but following up with Bates on Wednesday morning, police told her two arrests had been made, and she praised the Pine Bluff Police Department for acting swiftly and controlling the investigation.
According to a statement by the Pine Bluff Police Department released Thursday afternoon, detectives with the department arrested two juveniles in connection with Damareyon's shooting. One suspect is 15 years old and the other is 17.
"Both of the Juveniles were booked into the Jefferson County Juvenile Detention Center for Battery 1st Degree," Lt. David DeFoor of the PBPD stated in a press release. "The Jefferson County Prosecutor's office will determine if they will be tried as adults once the case file has been completed and submitted to their office."
Bates said her son was shot by accident. "The person who did shoot him was shooting at someone else," said Bates, added that her son was hanging out with his classmates, all students at Jack Robey Junior High School.
Going back to Monday evening, Bates said she had been looking for her son and several times had gone to the house where he was later found to have been shot.
"He wasn't even supposed to be at that address. He was supposed to be at home, and we were looking for him, but we couldn't find him," said Bates. "We went to the address where he got shot at several times and was told he wasn't there or no one would answer the door. But once he got shot, now people are there."
Bates said she was thankful that Damareyon seems to be OK, but she worries things won't be the same. "He is alive. He is not dead," she said. "He is in PCIU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) in Children's Hospital. He will be there until he gets better."
Bates said her son is not responsive at the moment because doctors don't want to overstimulate his brain. "He can wake up, but every time he wakes up, they sedate him because they don't want him awake," she said. "He had the first surgery Monday night, which was successful, but the pressure in his brain went up which is swelling in the brain."
Bates said her son had a second surgery on Wednesday and that a catheter was inserted on the other side of his brain to drain fluid that was causing the pressure. At the moment, she said, "he is doing very well."
The incident has enraged Bates, who said it is too easy for minors to get their hands on guns, and she said adults are many times to blame.
"Whoever it is controlling this situation because, it's always a bigger person, when it's a lot of little boys doing wrong, I noticed there is an older person involved," she said. "They need to stop giving these kids guns. These kids don't know what they're doing. This is not a game. This is not Grand Theft Auto. They need to stop."
Even though there are many resources available and preventative measures in place, Bates said she feels there still is more to do, but she said she isn't sure what the solution is.
"I don't even feel like it's the adults that are doing the wrong. We all as adults are doing the best we can to raise these kids. They are just making their own decisions -- good or bad," she said. "Judge (Earnest) Brown is doing the best he can, the probation officers, everyone is doing the best they can, but these children have gotten out of control, I will say. It's just sad."
Bates also said there needs to be more accountability of those who enable the youth and are not cooperative with information, using an example of a woman who, Bates says, houses youngsters knowing the trouble they are causing in the community.
"If we all come together and you know my child is doing something he is not supposed to, please let me know," said Bates. "Don't let my child go out there and do dumb stuff, because I wouldn't let yours." She also said social media sites like Instagram have become an outlet for youth who use the platform to "talk stupid."
Bates said she is thankful for the countless prayers that have been sent to the Bates family, but she said prayers need to be offered up for all of the kids involved.
"Kids are just running around with guns and don't even know how to shoot. Who gave them to them? I am tired of seeing our kids on the news," she said. "We as a community should figure out what we need to do to stop the violence in our city. Kids going to jail; Lord go with us. How many will we lose before we all come together and stop the kids from being killed in our city? Damareyon is recovering and Lord knows I'm grateful, but the police can only do so much. We can help too. We all need to come together and figure out what we need to do to fix this."
Damareyon Harris, 14, was shot in the head Monday evening and is in intensive care at Children's Hospital in Little Rock. (Special to the Commercial)