Young girl fatally shot amid Facebook dispute crossfire

A man from New Jersey has confessed to shooting a 9-year-old girl who was playing outdoors with her sibling and some friends, resulting in her death in front of their mother, after firing his gun at someone he considered a "family enemy" in an apartment complex courtyard.

According to the victim's relatives and the man's attorney, the incident was linked to a "pointless" conflict on Facebook.

Isiah M. Roberts, aged 19 when the crime was committed in 2022, admitted to aggravated manslaughter last week for the death of Sequoya Bacon-Jones, a young fourth-grade student from Trenton who attempted to find safety after Roberts began shooting in the courtyard where she was playing.

During a court session last Thursday, Roberts' lawyer, John W. Hartmann, purportedly explained the circumstances leading to the shooting, acknowledging that it began with a Facebook disagreement that escalated violently that day, as reported by NJ.com.

Hartmann mentioned that Roberts, now 23, was informed by his mother and sister about the online altercation and was told to "head to Kingsbury" — the location of the apartment complex where Sequoya was playing outside — following an altercation involving his sister, which originated from the Facebook conflict. 

Upon his arrival, Hartmann stated that Roberts was provided with the identity of a "family enemy," whom the police identified as his target.

Roberts procured a 9 mm firearm from one of the apartments and later observed the "family enemy" outside, whom he believed was armed as well, according to Hartmann. 

Roberts began shooting and hit Sequoya while she was trying to escape with her brother. 

Their mother was present at the scene and attempted to help her daughter, along with assistance from nearby residents, until law enforcement arrived.

"He initially fired two shots, causing everyone to scatter, and then discharged four more shots, tragically hitting my daughter," Sequoya's mother, Sacha Bacon-Jones, recalled in a 2022 discussion with Philadelphia CBS affiliate KYW.

Bacon-Jones recounted, "I rushed over and found my precious one covered in blood," describing Sequoya as her "little girl," as per KYW. "She wasn’t crying, just groaning softly while reaching out to me, and it felt unreal, yet heartbreakingly real."

Hartmann remarked on Thursday that Roberts had no intention of harming Sequoya, according to NJ.com. 

He did, however, exhibit a severe disregard for human life, which justified the manslaughter accusation.

Bacon-Jones referred to the cause of the shooting as "silly Facebook issues" while talking to journalists during a press conference following her daughter's passing.

Under his plea bargain, Roberts faces a prison term ranging from 15 to 18 years, as NJ.com reports. His sentencing is set for June.