MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A preliminary hearing was set Thursday for one of the two suspects charged in the I-240 shooting that sent four children and their father to the hospital.
Brittney Ireland, the children’s mother, was in attendance as 21-year-old Kendrick Ray’s court date was set for July 17th. Ireland said she is committed to being at every hearing to be an advocate for her children.
She has had to quit her job to take care of her four children, who have since been released from the hospital. That includes her 8-year-old son Kyree, who she says is paralyzed from the waist down and now has two prosthetic fingers.
“My son that is wheelchair-bound, I am trying to see how I’m going to have him in the car along with my other kids because he needs an entire row to himself,” Ireland said. “So it’s very hard and it’s a work in progress. I’m hoping that somebody can help me figure this out. They need a lot of therapy.”
Ireland says that even though the kids are now home, things are still very difficult for the family.
“They’re home but they’re miserable," she said. "It’s a lot. We’re waking up at 2 and 3 in the morning, I’m dealing with trauma kids crying thinking somebody’s going to shoot them. I have my baby girl who keeps her cape and she puts it over her head because she’s fearing, she’s nervous when we’re ridding down the road.”
Ray is facing multiple charges, including six counts of attempted first degree murder.
Ray was out on a $500 bond from a previous crime at the time of the shooting. His attorney says he is hoping for evidence that will show his client was not the shooter in this case.
Ireland said she plans to closely follow the suspects' court cases. She wants to be in the courtroom and look them in the eye as she speaks on her family's behalf.
A family friend said there are multiple fake GoFundMe accounts attempting to scam people trying to donate to Ireland. You can also donate to their legitimate GoFundMe HERE.