The family of 16-year-old David Acker said they will continue to fight for a tougher sentence for Jamalyse Alvarez after she shot and killed her friend while playing with a gun.
â–¶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS
“I want a murder charge against this girl. I’m not going to stop. I’m not going to be happy until action is taken,” said Migdalia Pagan, David Acker’s grandmother.
On Wednesday, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office arrested Jamalyse Alvarez, the 16-year-old they say pulled the trigger that killed David Acker.
Read: Deputies charge girlfriend of 16-year-old boy shot dead in Orange County
Investigators said she is now in the Juvenile Assessment Center and is facing charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child. The Attorney General’s Office has been consulting with investigators to determine her criminal charges.
The victim’s family told WFTV tonight that the punishment does not fit the crime.
“We will never get to see our son walk across the stage at his graduation. We will never get to see him get married and have grandchildren, so we are simply asking for the maximum sentence,” said Veronica Acker, David Acker’s mother.
Read: Lake County Sheriff’s Office provides update on injured officer after ambush shooting
Investigators say David was shot and killed around 1 a.m. in July after he and two other friends, including Alvarez, were playing with the gun at her Easton Street home in Orlando.
Investigators said David brought the gun to her home and the three posed with it, pointing it at each other. As they played with the gun, Alvarez pointed it at Acker and pulled the trigger.
“She pointed a gun at someone’s face and pulled the trigger. That’s not funny, that’s not an accident, that’s not a game, that’s a life. A life that we can never hold, hug, love again,” Pagan said.
Read: Firefighters Union Offers Counseling to Lake County First Responders
David was taken to hospital, where he later died.
Just 24 hours after Alverez was taken to the juvenile assessment center, his family described Acker as the glue that held the family together: a teenager who was good at basketball and swimming.
The family said they plan to schedule meetings with the District Attorney’s Office regarding the charges. They also said they plan to attend every court hearing until they get the justice David deserves.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
