Teen accused of killing longtime friend over weekend in Florida City faces judge
MIAMI - An 18-year-old accused in the deadly shooting of his 15-year-old friend in Florida City over the weekend faced a judge on Monday.
Jeron Smith is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Damarion Bailey.
During the hearing, the judge assigned a public defender and found probable cause to withhold bond.
Smith's family said the shooting was the result of him defending himself and Bailey from two others and he would have never hurt him intentionally.
Outside the Miami courthouse on Monday, Smith's mother, Angela Cade, said her heart is broken for her son Jeron, but also for Bailey who she said was like family.
"Everybody says about my son, as if he's a bad person, 'they got the killer this and that', it's not like that because he was his best friend and he was somebody that I loved," she said.
According to police, Smith and Bailey — whose nickname was "man man" — were sitting outside of a home off of NW 13th Street and 4th Avenue on Saturday morning when two guys on bicycles showed up. Smith reportedly pulled out a gun and started shooting. The shooting was "unprovoked" according to police. In the chaos, Bailey was struck in the head as Smith retreated toward his home.
Smith's family said that's not what happened.
"I was sitting on the porch. I'm his uncle, his best friend was sitting beside him, and while he's running he said come on," said Demorian Pernell.
He said the guys on the bikes had threatened the teen days earlier with a gun and had come back. Pernell said that's when the shooting happened.
Cade said her son would never intentionally hurt Bailey.
"How can he be a killer and that's his best friend? 'Man man' comes to my house every day, I mean seven days a week to chill with my son. It just doesn't make any sense," she said.