A New Jersey man has pleaded guilty to the 2022 shooting death of 9-year-old Sequoya Bacon-Jones. According to People, it’s a case that prosecutors say began with a Facebook-fueled dispute and ended with a child caught in the crossfire. 

Isiah Roberts entered the plea to first-degree aggravated manslaughter on April 16, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, after being charged in connection with the shooting. 

On March 25, 2022, authorities say Roberts arrived at the Trenton apartment complex after his mother and sister’s repeated phone calls and texts, per NJ.com. 

A feud between Roberts’ sister and another woman had apparently moved from Facebook to a face-to-face fight in the courtyard, when another man got involved. After Roberts arrived, he armed himself and fired into the crowded apartment courtyard, where Sequoya was killed as she ran for cover with her brother.

"I run up and my baby is laying on the ground covered in blood. She's not crying at all, she's just like moaning and she's reaching for me and I'm like I can't believe what I'm looking at. It's not really happening, but it's really happening," said Shea Bacon-Jones, Sequoya’s mother, in a 2022 interview with CBS.

Sequoya was not the intended target, officials specified. She was taken to a hospital, where she later died. Her death drew outrage in Trenton and renewed attention to how quickly online arguments can spill into deadly violence.

Under the plea agreement, Roberts is expected to serve 18 years in prison, with sentencing set for June. 

"[Sequoya ] brought so much light and life to everybody that came into contact with her," said Shea to CBS News. "It's impossible to not remember her," she said. "It's a tragedy if you didn't get to meet my daughter."