Joshua Nair
The family of a teenager who was gunned down and filmed two months ago have shifted the blame to his then-girlfriend.
South Carolina police arrested nine teenagers following the brutal shooting of Trey Dean Wright, 16, who died on 24 June. It was initially believed by authorities that he was guided there by his girlfriend, Gianna Kistenmacher, 17, for the crime to be carried out.
Wright was in a rural area of the city of Johnsonville when, according to reports, Devan Raper, 19, was waiting for the athlete to come past while manning a dangerous weapon, which was allegedly used to end the teen's life.
It's believed that the incident between him and the group started as a 'verbal altercation' before escalating.
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The American teen's family though, has now claimed that his cheerleader girlfriend was behind it all, as Raper was reportedly in one of two full cars, and they let Wright bleed out on the road after multiple gun shots.
Wright's mum, Ashley Lindsey, spoke to the Daily Mail about the harrowing turn of events, as the family are still unsure of Kistenmacher's motive.
Family and friends are all blaming her for the whole ordeal, as Lindsey explained that she knew her son was looking to meet Raper and Kistenmacher to have a 'bare-knuckle fight'.
She said of his new girlfriend: "My son wasn't about dumb stuff like a love triangle.
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"He told me just two days before he was killed that being with Gianna felt like a dream come true.
"He really liked her, but he might have been clueless to whatever else was going on."
Labelling Kistenmacher as a 'queen bee', the mum thinks she did it all to stir the pot.
The cheerleader had only been dating Wright for weeks before the shooting, as his mum pointed the finger at her, though she is still in disbelief.
“How do you go from s–t talking to killing somebody? When I was growing up, if kids had a problem, they’d meet on a dirt road, fight with their hands, and go home,” she said to the publication.
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“You didn’t pick up a gun. None of this makes sense.”
She also noted that her son's girlfriend started an argument just hours before the shooting, accusing him of cheating.
Wright's friend, Ethan Kirby also spoke to the outlet, admitting: “I believe she just wanted them to fight, not for it to end this way.
“It was all a childish act that turned real,” the 18-year-old said.
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A police report further stated that Kistenmacher was driving the vehicle which didn't transport Raper, believed to be a romantic rival to Wright.
“Devan was talking tough from the beach,” Kirby recalled, adding: "But when they drove an hour to fight, Devan realised Trey wasn't backing down.
"Trey was a great kid but he was a little tough ass too. I once saw him get a fish hook stuck in his hand and he pulled it out without flinching. I think Devan got scared."
He even described Gianna as a 'truck s**t' as she 'hung around the beach people and the truck scene'.
Raper currently remains behind bars without bond, while Kistenmacher was granted bond and released to home confinement.
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Seven other teens have also been slapped with various charges for their alleged roles in the supposed 'murder plot'.
Hunter Matthew Kendall, 18, Sydney Marissa Kearns, 17, and Corrinne Elizabeth Belviso, 18, were also taken into custody and charged in wake of Trey's death.