Stay awake. Stay awake. They're almost here. Okay. How old is he? >> 13. >> Officers had just raced to a frantic 911 call about a 13-year-old who'd been shot. As officers worked to keep the boy alive, one question hung over everything. How did a 10-year-old get his hands on a gun and shoot his own brother while their mother stood just a few feet away. >> That's my baby. >> What type of toy is that? Is it a nightmare? On December 20th, 2023, Deputy Joseé Ferrer with the Augusta Police Department responded to a domestic call no officer ever wants to hear. A 13-year-old inside his own home. A place that should have been safe had become the center of something [music] unthinkable. And when Deputy Ferrer arrived at the apartment complex, he was met with a scene he wouldn't forget anytime soon. >> I'm in awake. >> Oh my god. Dispatch on there, please. >> How old is he? >> 13. >> I'm a 13y old male. >> Mama, you got your ID? You are you mom? >> Yes. >> You have your ID? >> Yeah. You got a fireman on them right now. >> Okay. Thank you. Hey, thank you. >> Did I clear? Can I clear? >> Stay awake. Stay awake. They're almost here. Okay. >> They're almost here. Okay. >> Who's here? Who was here when this happened? >> Talk to me. >> I was on the phone with a friend. Get my car fixing. >> You know how old you are? >> It was in my pocket book. >> How old are you? >> 13. >> It was in your pocketbook. >> That fire that fire was in >> that firearm was in your pocketbook. And what happened to you? >> I don't know. I mean, they never play with him before or anything like that. And I was just trying to get a ride to get my car fixed and I just heard it go off. Just got to wear protection, you know. Upon arrival, officers tried to make sense of the chaos. Inside this home of four, a mom, a dad, a 10-year-old, and a 13-year-old. Something had gone horribly wrong. And now, a 13-year-old boy lay on the edge of losing his life, desperately needing medical help as officers worked to understand how [music] this could have happened. >> I don't even know what happened. Like, I just know it went off. >> [snorts] >> took the farm to me. Come this way. >> All right. >> Oh, my baby. >> All right. They're coming. They're coming. >> They coming. They're coming. They're coming. They're coming. >> You all right? Chill. Please almost here, ma'am. We're going to get him loaded up. Okay. >> Talk to me, buddy. >> Up here. >> Talk to me, buddy. >> You talking to Okay. I know you hurt. Come on, talk to me. >> Talk to me. [clears throat] >> While the mother had just witnessed the most terrifying moment of her life, her son being carried out by paramedics, officers stayed behind to secure the scene. As they worked, they began questioning her about the firearm and what exactly had led up to this tragic moment. >> You see your firearm? >> Where's fire? >> It's right here. I'm removing the magazine. It pretty much sto I I didn't roll him over to see if there What's ID? Just >> Just watch that. Just watch that firearm right there. >> I got her ID. I don't have hers. Um, his phone. >> Good boy. >> What's his name? >> What's his name? >> Jaden Sims. >> J A Y. >> J A Y D E N. >> Everybody's >> Jaden Sims. S I M S. And that's my baby. It soon surfaced that Charice had been on a phone call in another room while her two sons likely got into an argument. And because the household's gun hadn't been secured or stored properly, things took a horrific turn. Jaden was shot in the chest, a wound that collapsed his lung, but thankfully didn't become something even worse thanks to rapid medical care and surgery. Back at the scene, officers collected evidence and tried to figure out what would happen next for the family, including the 10-year-old who had pulled the trigger. It was clear that everyone in the home had played some part in the chain of events [music] that led to this moment. >> He he made a mistake. Made it go off. >> He just made a mistake. It was in my pocketbook. I had it for a long time. It just protected. >> The firearm has been sitting here. It was in a purse. >> Yeah. Um >> I was trying to get to a point to see how how they go off. the the firearm stove top topped this is jammed >> and then that was the case that was right over there. >> Photos were taken before it was um moved. >> Keep everything. >> But that's that's going to stay there. >> And I took him in there and right there. [snorts] >> Where was the person at? Was it here in the living room or the bedroom? >> Everything was right here. I had this step cuz they had their phones going and I couldn't hear on the phone. I'm sorry. >> He's [music] here. >> He's here. >> Who you need info for? >> For the patient. >> Oh, no. He's He's right here. Jaden. >> Where was the gun at? Your purse? >> In my purse. >> And you left your purse here? >> Yeah. I just walked out for a second to here on the phone. >> So, you said you was on a phone call, right? >> Were you here in the living room? >> Yeah. >> So, then from here you living room. I just slept right there in the room. >> You went to which room? >> Here. My room. this room in the back. Just here, >> you know, just to here and cuz they both right here with both of their phones. We all right here with our phone. >> Where's your purse at? >> Right there. >> Right there. >> Okay. >> So, you moved the room so you can get So, you can hear and then what happened at that? That's when you heard >> Yeah, I heard a gun and I ran in here and that's when I seen Jaden was sitting there and it was coming out the side of his, you know, his chest. All right, I'm going. >> What type of toy is that? Is it a nightmare? >> Yeah. [sighs] >> You good, Jamal? You good? You all right? Come on. >> Come on. Over here. You said what? >> Do you read it? >> For the first time, the 10-year-old stepped into view. Despite his age, he was now at the center of an event that would change his entire family forever. >> So, what happened there? >> Mhm. When some Kermit got here, the juvie was laying laying across the hallway. Fire almost laying here and the showcase was over there. So everything got moved somehow that way. [clears throat] But when he got here, everything was here. He took a photo of the spray that was a juggle and then I all I did was remove the magazine from the firearm cuz you still got around like stove top. So there got to be somewhere around here cuz this is where apparently this is where it happened. >> Ma'am, was this what you used to try to hold pressure against him? >> I'm confused. >> Yeah, [snorts] >> that's what I'm saying. Because here said it was out there. >> It could have been. >> There's someone in a pillow. >> I got him from right here. [clears throat] >> There's blood here in the pillow. >> I got him from right here. >> Give me a second. But don't touch the pillow. I got him from right here. >> I don't know. >> And when I got him, I move him. I don't even know how. >> I just know I move him in that room. >> Okay. >> And I got them items right there. And I was trying to hold pressure >> and I was trying to get my phone call 911 at the same time. >> While deputies walked through the apartment trying to pinpoint exactly where the had happened, Jammarcus and Britney were escorted to a patrol car. It was the first time they appeared in the same frame, and the mix of grief, shock, and disappointment on their faces was impossible to miss. >> You You're going to go with me? Let's see. Come on down. Come on downstairs. I got to I got to sit in separate cars. >> Mom. Mom, you doing here? She wants me to separate. Keep them separate. >> That's fine. >> No. All right. >> All right. Just have a seat. I'm going to lower my my window. These wind I can't lower these windows down for some odd reason, but I'm going to lower mine down a little bit. It might get hot in here. With Jammarcus and his mother seated in the cruiser, Deputy Farer began transporting them to the station. But on the way they crossed paths with the husband and father, a man who looked nothing short of devastated. >> 103 dispatch. [clears throat] >> In reference to my call, I'll be routed to uh 400 with one female, one male juvenile. Beginning mileage 154 8534 853 my son. Oh, >> hey. >> I'm sorry. >> You got >> That's my son. >> All right, we got to go down to 400. She'll be able to call you once we're done down there. >> Is you all right? >> Yeah. >> Stop crying. >> Yeah. >> What they going to do with my son? >> They got to go down to 400. The investigator is going to speak to both of them of what's going on. Okay. She'll be able to give you a call. Give you a call. >> She going to get her phone back. >> Yes. >> Call me. >> You hear me, Sheree? >> You all right? swinging. >> You all right? >> Your brother. All right. Came out. Okay. >> Calm down. Tell them exactly what happened. I'm going to see you in a minute. Okay. >> All right. >> All right. Thank you, sir. Thank you. >> All right. >> I recommend you don't because we don't need anybody running around. >> Call me. Okay. >> But we'll call we'll call you. >> I know. Call me. >> Okay. >> All right. The 13-year-old was rushed into emergency surgery where doctors inserted a chest tube to treat his collapsed lung and stabilize him. The mom, 34year-old Sherice Nicole Sims, was jailed for two counts of secondderee cruelty.