NEW ALBANY, Ind. — The Jefferson County Coroner has identified 20-year-old Desijuan Berry as the victim of a Fourth of July shooting in New Albany.
Police said they found Berry suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in the 1300 block of Bono Road around 11:15 p.m. Monday.
Berry was transported to UofL Hospital in Louisville but died shortly after.
Police quickly arrested 18-year-old Nicholas Bowerman in connection to the shooting.
Wednesday, Berry's family sat down with WHAS11. His mother, Misti Kidwell, said Berry was at a Fourth of July cookout when he was killed.
“He came over earlier that day because he wanted to borrow some charcoal and lighter fluid," she said. “He just came to me and said they were having a cookout and celebrating the Fourth of July.”
Kidwell said she has no idea what happened Monday night or why her son was shot and killed. She said she didn't know Bowerman and didn't think her son did either.
“It ruins everybody around that person, everybody in the other person’s life, because the boy that actually did it, I’m pretty sure they’re going through a lot too because of what he did," Kidwell said.
This is the second time in a matter of months Kidwell's family has been impacted by gun violence. Kidwell herself was shot several times in May, during a domestic violence incident.
She said Berry would come to the hospital to visit and care for her.
“He’s more my emotional child, so he’s of course going to get upset and cry,” Kidwell said.
Wednesday, the family reflected on their beloved son, brother and nephew.
Kidwell said Berry was a graduate of New Albany High School, her middle child and an aspiring musician or music producer.
“He rapped but he had more of a passion for making music," Kidwell said. “He was just very sweet, loving, caring, full of energy, which anybody that knows him knows that."
Kidwell hopes her family's story will encourage others to stop engaging in gun violence.
“They just need to put the guns down, communication is a much better tool because it ruins more than families," she said. “This gun violence has gotten out of control, too many lives have been lost and way to soon.”
Kidwell said the family is in the process of making arrangements to lay Berry to rest.
Bowerman is due in court in Floyd County Thursday morning.
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