Teen shot for door knock was 'begging for his life,' mom says
ATLANTA, Georgia -- The mother of a 19-year-old who was shot after apparently knocking on a door by mistake at an Atlanta area apartment complex says her son "was begging for his life" just before he died.
Lisa Johnson told ABC News that her son, 19-year-old Omarian Banks, was a "typical teenager" who worked at McDonald's. She says she is struggling to make sense of what happened.
"I just want to understand why he had to take my son's life. My son was just confused. He just went to the wrong door," Johnson said.
Family members said Banks was shot and killed last Friday when he mistakenly went to a different apartment at a complex where his girlfriend recently moved.
According to police, Banks walked away from the door after knocking, when the resident of the apartment, 32-year-old Darryl Bynes, went out to his balcony and confronted Banks. Bynes produced a handgun and fired at Banks.
Banks was shot in the neck and died at the scene, police said.
"He pleaded for his life. He was like, 'Hold on, I am sorry, I am sorry,' and the dude shot him," a witness said.
"He worked. He was getting his life together, just trying to make his mom and family proud," Johnson added. "My son was in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"He was a good person. He wasn't doing anything wrong," Johnson insisted. "He just made a mistake by going to the wrong door. He had a big heart and loved everyone that was around him."
One of Bynes' family members says he shot the teen in self-defense.
"He has five kids, he was literally protecting his family. His truck was stolen earlier this week. Right now, that's all they're trying to do is protect their family," Mackayla Johnson, Bynes' cousin, said.
She added that Bynes does not have an "aggressive criminal record."
