CHARLOTTE – The mother of a Charlotte teen shot in the stomach earlier this week in Grier Heights says her son continues to recover.
D'Andre Martin is now listed in good condition, meanwhile the 14-year-old suspect is in custody facing a serious charge.
"I hope he gets punished to the full extent of this crime because he tried to kill my son,” said Monroe. “Fourteen or not I hope he spends a long time in jail.”
Police say the teenager shot Martin as he was skateboarding home. Officers say Martin was an innocent victim who has never been in trouble with the law.
The suspect's name is not being released because he is a minor. He was arrested Thursday and confessed to the shooting. He is charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury.
Youth outreach groups say this alarming crime shows the need for more prevention programs in the community.
“Of course this is just heartbreaking,” said George Wilkerson, who runs the FBI honored GAP program. GAP stands for Gang Alternative Principles.
It works with young offenders to help steer them away from a life of crime.
"One of our mantras is stop, think and act. If we can get youth to stop, think and act, then a lot of the times behavior will be different," said Wilkerson.
While the ages of both the victim and suspect are alarming, Wilkerson says the juvenile violence issue is improving in Charlotte.
"In fact, in North Carolina there has been a 15 percent decrease in juvenile complaints, so there is progress ,” said Wilkerson.
While his program serves close to 100 young men a year, he says more needs to be done.
"We should reinforce those youth who are displaying positive behaviors and we should really put our heads together and work to address the challenges and needs of those youth who sometime fall by the wayside," he said.