Mother of teen murdered at Columbia mall calls shooting "a bad dream I'll never wake up from"
BALTIMORE -- Charell Wilson described the devastating moment she learned her son, 17-year-old Angelo Little, died from a shooting last weekend inside The Mall in Columbia.
"It was like a bad dream I'll never wake up from," Wilson told WJZ.
Little died from a gunshot wound near the mall's food court following an altercation Saturday evening, according to police. Investigators are working to learn more about what sparked the altercation and why Little was killed in what police said was a "targeted shooting."
Howard County Police are still searching for the suspect.
Dreams of being a chef
Wilson recalled her last conversation with her son before he left for the mall. She told him to put together a list of things he needed for the start of school.
Little was set to enter his senior year at the Homewood Center in Ellicott City.
Wilson remembers her son as a gentle giant with dreams of becoming a chef one day. She said he loved cooking and would invite friends over to taste test his creations.
"He thought he was funny, probably not as funny as he thought he was," Wilson said. "He had good grades, always had good grades. He loved basketball, all those kid things you're supposed to find joy in."
"I lost my son to gun violence"
Wilson and her son moved to Columbia from East Baltimore in 2014 because she thought it would be safer.
"I lost my son to gun violence, which was something I wouldn't have even thought about in Columbia," Wilson said. "I will never have a grandchild [or] see him walk across the stage. They ripped that from me. Everything that made me happy in life is now gone."
Little was a youth mentor
Little was a member of the Stepping Towards a New Destiny, also known as S.T.A.N.D., a mentorship program that provides young people opportunities to try new things and break out of their comfort zone. It also focuses on decreasing violence among young people.
As a mentee, Little met weekly with the program, which he joined through his school.
"By the time kids are in middle school, if you expose them to trades and innovation, and you expose them to college tours, now you are setting before them a path," said Tigana Duncan, the founder of S.T.A.N.D.
Wilson said Duncan was a male role model for her son, who also volunteered to help younger middle school students.
Saquan Maxwell, the director of Persevere Until Success Happens, also known as P.U.S.H., said these programs are designed to prevent youth violence and teach young people how to handle their emotions.
"It's bigger than five minutes and how you feel in five minutes," Maxwell said. "Because later down the road, you may say, 'Whoa that five minutes could have changed my life.' It's really about exposure, opportunity and showing them their value."
Mall shooter description
Howard County Police said that at the time of the shooting, the suspect was wearing dark clothing, a hooded sweatshirt and a partial face covering. The male gunman is identified as small in stature and in his late teens or early 20s, according to police.
"Say something. Say whatever you've seen, heard, smelled," Wilson said. "No matter how little, how big, say something. The only way we catch people who do bad things is if people say something."
Police say they do not have a clear image of the suspect after parsing surveillance video and photos from the mall.
Comprehensive security plan
Brookfield Properties, the owner of The Mall in Columbia, said it keeps a comprehensive security plan, which includes requiring all patrons under 18 years old to be accompanied by an adult on Fridays and Saturdays after 4 p.m.
When asked if upgrades to its security cameras will be made, the company did not answer, citing the ongoing investigation.
Howard County Police are offering a $5,000 reward for any information. If you know anything about this case, you are encouraged to reach out to the department's tipline 410-313-STOP (7867).