DETROIT – A 9-year-old boy shed tears Wednesday as he spoke about the man who was convicted of killing his father during a robbery and carjacking in a fast food drive-thru.
“Why did he choose to do this? He shot me and gave my brother nightmares, and he took someone who was in the center of my heart," Christopher Reed Jr. said. “That was a bad idea, and now I have to live with it for the rest of my life.”
The boy was given the chance to speak just minutes before a judge sentenced Dezmen Faqua to 25 to 50 years in prison on a second-degree murder charge. Faqua, 24, was also convicted of carjacking, robbery, assault and weapons charges.
He maintained that police had the wrong guy.
“I feel remorseful for whatever happened to their family. I hope they can get past the situation and find the right person who did it," Faqua said.
Police said Faqua confronted Reed's 28-year-old father, who shares his son's same name, on June 6, 2015, while he was in a Wendy's drive-thru line with his 9-year-old and 5-year-old sons.
Reed was fatally shot.
The 9-year-old suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to his hand.
“June 6 was the worst night of our lives. He took someone dear, special and loving from us,” said Stavetta Reed, Reed’s grandmother. “There is one demon off the street.”
Previous story: Father killed, son wounded in drive-thru shooting