Torial Roberts gunned down in front of his mother in Fort Pierce

FT. PIERCE, Fla. - Kisha Armstrong is surrounded by family and friends, trying to make sense of what happened less than 24 hours ago.

"My child is not in a gang and I want them to pay for taking my child away from me."

She was walking with her son, 18 year-old Torial Roberts, along North 14th Street at Avenue E Sunday night.  She was heading to see her boyfriend; Torial was off to his great-grandmothers a block away.

The pair crossed paths with four teens. Shots were fired.

"He said 'mama run.' I thought they were shooting in the air.  He said 'mama run,' " Armstrong recalled through tears.

Armstrong took some bullet fragments in her leg.  Her son was not as fortunate.  Roberts was hit in the chest.  

Armstrong says this was going to be a great year.  Her son was excited about being a senior at Westwood High School.

"We was talking about prom.  We was talking about graduation... we was talking about... her voice then trailed off.

Residents where the shooting happened shake their heads.

"I never seen the trouble kids are getting into today," said Patricia Dixon.
"Bunch of silent killers, silent killers in here," said Kathy Thornton.

Kisha Armstrong is also shaken, down to her core, with just memories, and a tattoo to remind her of her child.  She wants the violence to stop.

"It should end right now when they took my child away.  They shouldn't have took my child.  That's all I had, that's my only baby."

Fort Pierce Police have said little so far about the circumstances surrounding the shooting but they are asking for the public's help.  

You can call Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-800-273-TIPS.  Tipsters are eligible for up to a $1,000 reward.