The parents of a 14-year-old boy want answers after a woman shot and killed the teen outside her south Fort Worth duplex on Thursday. According to police, the woman told officers the teen was trying to get into her home, and she had reported attempted break-ins on previous occasions.
Officers were dispatched to the Peppertree Acres Apartments, in the 5200 block of Southcrest Court early Thursday morning after the resident called 911 to report a prowler, according to police. When officers arrived, the caller told them the person had left the area. But after officers left, the woman called again around 3 a.m. to report the person had returned and was attempting to enter her home.
When they returned to the scene, officers found the teenager on the ground in the front yard with at least one gunshot wound to his torso, according to police.
The woman is cooperating with the investigation and no charges have been filed, according to police. The Star-Telegram asked Fort Worth police if their investigation found evidence that confirmed the teen was trying to break into the woman’s home on Thursday, but was told there was no new information and the case is still under investigation.
Family members identified the 14-year-old as Devin Baker, an eighth-grade student at Rosemont Middle School. His family also lives in the Peppertree Acres Apartments. Paramedics responded and pronounced Baker dead at the scene.
Latoiya Landers, Devin’s mother, told the Star-Telegram he was a fun-loving boy who had dreams of starting a clothing line with art he’d created. He made good grades in school and was excited about joining the basketball team, she said. He’d just recently had his physical done.
“He used to tell me, ‘Mamma, watch. I’m going to make something of myself,’” Landers said. “I told him, ‘Yes you are, but you’re going to stay in school, too.’”
Landers said she didn’t know anything was wrong Thursday morning until Devin’s older sister woke her up, yelling.
Cornelius Watkins, Devin’s stepfather, said Devin loved to draw and even taught his younger brother how. He always did well in school, especially in math, science and art classes. While he was planning to play basketball, Devin also loved football and hoped to join the team for that sport, too.
Landers said the thing Devin wanted most was a big family. He would tell her that when he grew up, he would be successful, have a large family and take care of her.
Gigi Stevenson, a clerk at the nearby food mart, said Devin came into the store almost every day. His favorite snacks were Little Debbie cakes.
“He was such a sweet kid,” Stevenson said. “He was always so polite, always saying ‘yes, ma’am’ and ‘yes, sir,’ and he was one of those kids who would never try to take something he didn’t pay for. ... I just can’t fathom him doing something wrong. He never rubbed you wrong to think he was that kind of kid.”
Stevenson said she always asks the children who come into the store how they’re doing in school, and Devin would give her more detail than just “good,” often talking about what class he was doing best in.
Durwyn Lamb, a martial arts instructor and youth mentor, said he spoke with a group of students, including Devin, two weeks ago at Rosemont Middle School.
“I could tell he was a pretty good kid, really decent kid, just making some immature and young choices from the lack of being guided or being misguided,” Lamb told the Star-Telegram.
Lamb was getting ready to go back to Rosemont on Thursday when he got a message from Devin’s teacher saying that he’d been killed. Later, he learned the woman who shot Devin had reported he attempted to break into her home.
“Tragic,” Lamb said. “You know, young man 14 years old, and I seen something in him. I seen myself in him actually, and I just thought, man, he had something good about him that I could tell, it’s just misguided. And it’s just sad he lost his life that way.”
Lamb said it was comforting to him to get some texts from Devin’s teacher on Thursday showing screenshots of messages indicating he’d had an impact on Devin’s life in the short time they were together.
Devin had an older sister and a younger brother and sister, his parents said. The whole family is having trouble processing Devin’s death, and said that a lack of answers isn’t helping. They want to know why the woman who shot him hasn’t been arrested and said police haven’t told them anything about what investigators think happened.
Watkins and Landers both said Devin didn’t have a weapon and they can’t imagine he would have tried breaking into any homes.
After the shooting, investigators found out the woman had reported break-ins or attempted break-ins three times prior to the first call on Thursday, a police spokesperson said. Police did not release further details about the previous incidents and didn’t respond to the Star-Telegram’s request for more information.
Online police reports show officers responded to that location for a criminal mischief call on Nov. 29. Police found a window had been vandalized or damaged.
Investigators found a broken window at the woman’s apartment and two bullet holes in the front wall, WFAA-TV reported. It’s not clear if the broken window was related to Thursday’s incident.
Officers also responded to a burglary call at that location on the night of Dec. 12, a little more than 24 hours before the shooting. Several Nike Air Jordan shoes are listed as the items stolen in the burglary, according to the police report. No arrests were reported in either of the previous incidents.
The principal at Rosemont Middle sent a letter to parents saying counseling will be available on campus for any students who need it, according to WFAA. “I encourage you to be attentive, listen to your child, and look for possible signs that they may need additional help,” the letter said.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct that the person who was shot was a teenage boy, and the resident who shot him was a woman, according to police.
This story was originally published December 14, 2023 2:03 PM.