'It hurts so bad:' mom of TSU shooting victim speaks

Image 1 of 7

Jacqueline Mouton hasn't been able to step in her son's room since the shooting a week and a half ago that left him dead.

“I want to believe it's not true. It hurts so bad. It hurts so bad,” said Jacqueline Mouton, the mother of Brent Randall, who was shot to death on Texas Southern University’s campus on Oct. 9. 

“He was my strength. He made me so happy ... I can't – sometimes, I feel like I can't live without him, how I'm going to go on without my baby,” said Mouton.

Mouton’s other son Lawrence was injured and is still in the hospital.

Mouton said Brent, who was her youngest boy, chose to go to TSU so he could take care of his family.

“He wanted to be close because we are a close family,” said Mouton. “He's the baby boy, so he wanted to be where he could see me all the time.”

Now, she says she wishes he had never gone to college.

Mouton showed up to the accused killer's first court appearance on Monday where prosecutors called 22-year-old Jartis Leblanc Jr. a cold blooded killer.

Leblanc is allegedly caught on camera shooting at the two brothers two Fridays ago.

Investigators say it was a retaliation for a basketball game the night before.

”He was caught on TSU surveillance camera. He shot two individuals, one of which passed away, Mr. Brent Randall. The other is severely wounded and is still hospitalized,” said Kathy Kahle, a Harris County prosecutor.    

Mouton said it was important to see her son's accused killer, but she nearly collapsed as she left the courtroom.

She's been wearing her son's jersey for days now, unwilling to believe it.

“This is his senior year jersey, and I've been wearing it because I don't want to take it off. I can't because i don’t want to let him go,” said Mouton.

In Brent's final moments, paramedics told Mouton that she was the last thing on his mind.

“When they say they revived him, he only came back to say, ’I love you, mom. Tell my mama I love her,’” said Mouton.

Houston police did say Leblanc, the accused killer, is not a TSU student but a gang member with a record.

He was released from jail last month and charged with theft.

He's being held on a $100,000 bond.

As for Brent and Lawrence's family, they are still struggling with funeral costs.

If you'd like to help out, go to their GoFundMe page gofundme.com/dg649xas