'I'm sorry to break your heart,' teen sentenced to 24 years in prison tells his mom in viral video

A 16-year-old was sentenced to 24 years in jail after shooting and killing a man in a robbery attempt. Before hearing his sentence in court, the boy apologized to the man’s family and his heartbroken mother.

The fact that anyone can have access to guns is still a big problem in the country. From mentally ill people to individuals with a criminal record to teenagers, everyone can get a hold of a gun and the consequences of that have been catastrophic.

The conversation around the gun ban keeps on growing every day with more and more cases of shootings in the hands of people that, shouldn't have even be allowed to obtain these guns in the first place.

A TEENAGER WITH A GUN ACTS ON IMPULSE

Jayquille Cleveland was just 15 when he fired the gun that took 43-year-old Frederick McIntosh’s life in 2015. McIntosh was a father of four and a New Yorker who was visiting his longtime girlfriend, Annjeanette Bailey, in Cleveland.

The couple was sitting in a car outside of Bailey’s apartment when two young boys approached them with guns and asking for their money. It was Cleveland and his accomplice, then-17-year-old Ja'quil Baylor.

While Baylor ruffled through McIntosh’s pockets on the driver’s side, Cleveland stayed on Bailey’s side. But then McIntosh started to fight back, and amid the struggle, Cleveland reached into the car and fired a single bullet into the man’s back. The teenagers ran, and the man was later declared dead at the scene.

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

Through the entire legal process, Cleveland showed his regret for his actions. He and Baylor confessed their crime and took responsibility, getting a deal through their lawyers to avoid an aggravated murder charge that would have carried a life sentence.

McIntosh’s family was present at the hearing, and his sister Sheila Mosley, showed up wearing a t-shirt with his photo, as she refused to forgive the teenager that took her brother’s life away. "I don't want to forgive him, and I'm not going to," she said. "I wish you a bad life."

A HEARTBROKEN MOTHER

Victoria Flenoy, Cleveland’s mother, apologized to the McIntosh’ family for her son’s actions and said:

“I just remember the little boy who told me about his dreams to go to college, making his own business, taking care of his mother. I don't understand it, and I can't explain it. I just ask that somehow, my son gets another chance a life."

Just before hearing his sentence from “Common Pleas Judge Joan Synenberg, Cleveland apologized one more time to McIntosh family, and addressed his mother saying:

"You did raise me better than that. I'm sorry to break your heart."

Cleveland will be 39 when he’s released from prison. Synnberg advised him to stay away from prison gangs and to use his time in jail to reflect on his mistakes and get ready to get his life back on track once he’s out.