A devastating case out of New Jersey is coming to a painful turning point after a young man admitted to opening fire during a dispute — killing a 9-year-old girl who was simply playing outside.
Isiah M. Roberts, who was 19 at the time of the 2022 shooting, has now pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter in the death of Sequoya Bacon-Jones, a fourth-grader from Trenton.
Prosecutors say the violence stemmed from what’s been described as a “stupid” feud on Facebook.
According to Roberts’ attorney, the situation escalated quickly the day of the shooting. He told the court that Roberts was contacted by his mother and sister about the online dispute and told to come to the Kingsbury apartment complex after a fight broke out involving his sister.
Once there, Roberts was reportedly given the name of a “family nemesis” — the person he believed he was targeting.
Police say Roberts then retrieved a 9mm handgun from an apartment and went outside, where he spotted the intended target. Believing the other person may also have been armed, he opened fire.
But in the chaos, tragedy struck an innocent child.
Sequoya was outside playing with her brother and friends when the gunshots rang out. As everyone scrambled to escape, she was hit while trying to run for safety — all in front of her mother.
“He shot off two rounds, everybody scattered, then he fired more shots and my daughter got hit,” her mother, Sacha Bacon-Jones, said in a heartbreaking interview after the shooting.
She recalled rushing to her daughter’s side and finding her lying on the ground.
“My baby is laying there covered in blood… she’s reaching for me,” she said. “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”
Despite efforts to save her, Sequoya did not survive.
In court, Roberts’ attorney said his client did not intend to kill the young girl but admitted he acted with reckless disregard for human life — which led to the aggravated manslaughter charge.
As part of the plea deal, Roberts — now 23 — is expected to serve between 15 and 18 years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced in June.
For Sequoya’s family, the pain hasn’t eased.
“All I have now are memories I can’t make anymore,” her mother said, describing the online dispute that led to the shooting as senseless.