LEXINGTON, N.C. (WGHP) -- A Davidson County family wants to see harsher charges for a 19-year-old who deputies believe shot a 15-year-old at close range.
"I don't even understand why he was out on the street and capable to commit a crime like this again. That angers me to my core," said Tasha Abate, the mom of the 15-year-old victim.
She's referring to Ryan Peace who deputies arrested for felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, two counts of intimidating witnesses and felony possession of a firearm.
Peace was also charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in 2019.
"He's done this before. It's clear as day if we can't take a hint of what kind of person he is and what he's capable of with these actions in the past, and now we're blind," Abate said.
Peace made his first appearance in a Davidson County courtroom Thursday afternoon.
If he's found guilty he could face up to 31 years in prison.
Abate is scared to return despite the fact Peace is behind bars.
"I don't feel safe. I don't know who he knows, who he might try to get to hurt me. I have two other children," Abate said.
She told FOX 8 the story of what happened on Wednesday afternoon.
According to her son, Peace asked the 15-year-old and another friend to come over and help him move some firewood for his grandmother.
The victim and his friend were laughing and chatting when Peace came outside and asked if they were talking about him.
The victim says Peace went back inside the house and got a gun, brought it outside, asked if the pair of friends believed it was loaded and then shot the 15-year-old.
"He could have killed my son for absolutely no reason," Abate said. "My son thought he wouldn't do anything like that."
Abate questioned the friendship and told FOX 8 she had a bad feeling about Peace.
Her son is currently recovering from the gunshot wounds at Brenner Children's Hospital in Winston-Salem.
"He's terrified. He told me every time he closes his eyes, he hears the gunshots," Abate said.
The family of the victim would like to see harsher charges brought forward for Peace's alleged actions.
FOX8 reached out to Peace's family, and they declined our request for an interview.
Peace is due back in court on May 12.
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