Mama's Gun

By Matt Wood in News on Aug 18, 2006 4:38PM

Prosecutors plan to file murder charges against a Gary woman who drove her son to a disabled neighbor's home, stopped so he could get out and shoot the man, then made the getaway. The day before 10 people were wounded in another drive-by shooting on the South Side, Arlene Ambrose drove her 15-year old son to Jermaine Martin's house, where the boy shot Martin in the back. Witnesses say Ambrose allegedly encouraged her son, saying, "When mama say shoot, you shoot."

Martin apparently had a close relationship with his attackers, and thought of them as family. His mother said he helped raise the boy who shot him and thought of him as a son. Martin rarely strayed from the front yard and was loved by neighborhood children. Neighbors believe the shooting was revenge for an incident four years ago in which Martin may have gotten in an accident while driving Ambrose's car, obviously grounds for shooting a disabled man in the back.

Chicagoist is all about parents being involved in their kids' lives, but we kinda meant taking them to the park and helping them with their homework. Area residents say Ambrose has encouraged her son to hurt other people before. If this story is all true, we sure hope she's proud now. We'll even chip in for a "My Kid is a Convicted Murderer in the Indiana Penal System...And I Helped Him Get There" bumper sticker.