In a few weeks, a suspected Bloods gang member could take a plea deal or request a trial in the shooting death of his teenage girlfriend.
Shelby police said Aaron Byers killed Hannah Bickley while trying to rob other people last year.
For the first time, Hannah's mother spoke to Channel 9 about the warning signs she doesn't want other parents to ignore and the case that's changed her life forever.
"She always smiled," Hannah Bickley's mother, Misty, told Channel 9.
It is one of her fondest memories, but the pain of losing her only child in a violent shooting has forever shattered the mother's world.
"I just wish I could hold her one more time," said Misty Bickley.
Police said Byers shot and killed Hannah Bickley, 17, who was his girlfriend while he tried to rob two people on Holder Drive in Shelby.
Deputies had already flagged Byers as a Bloods gang member.
He was convicted on 15 felony burglary charges in Cleveland County in 2013.
Misty Bickley told Channel 9 she tried to stop her daughter from seeing Byers because of his violent past, but on a tragic morning in May 2014, she got a devastating phone call.
"It was the boy's mother to tell me that there was a shooting in Shelby, and Hannah got shot and didn't make it," she said.
Byers is now charged with Hannah Bickley's murder.
Misty Bickley said every day without her is heartbreaking.
"My life has changed forever," she said. "My life will never be the same."
She's never spoken publicly about her daughter's death, but she wanted to do so now, as other young people head back to school and face difficult choices.
She wants her story to reach parents who know in their gut that their child is in trouble.
"Go with your heart if you think something is wrong, don't wait," said Misty Bickley. "That's the biggest thing. Do not wait. Do whatever it takes to keep your kids safe."
For those considering joining gangs and committing crimes, the heartbroken mother has one simple message.
"Think about what you're doing to another family," she said.
The Cleveland County District Attorney's office said Byers' murder case is scheduled for a conference hearing at the end of August.
Shelby police said Aaron Byers killed Hannah Bickley while trying to rob other people last year.
For the first time, Hannah's mother spoke to Channel 9 about the warning signs she doesn't want other parents to ignore and the case that's changed her life forever.
"She always smiled," Hannah Bickley's mother, Misty, told Channel 9.
It is one of her fondest memories, but the pain of losing her only child in a violent shooting has forever shattered the mother's world.
"I just wish I could hold her one more time," said Misty Bickley.
Police said Byers shot and killed Hannah Bickley, 17, who was his girlfriend while he tried to rob two people on Holder Drive in Shelby.
Deputies had already flagged Byers as a Bloods gang member.
He was convicted on 15 felony burglary charges in Cleveland County in 2013.
Misty Bickley told Channel 9 she tried to stop her daughter from seeing Byers because of his violent past, but on a tragic morning in May 2014, she got a devastating phone call.
"It was the boy's mother to tell me that there was a shooting in Shelby, and Hannah got shot and didn't make it," she said.
Byers is now charged with Hannah Bickley's murder.
Misty Bickley said every day without her is heartbreaking.
"My life has changed forever," she said. "My life will never be the same."
She's never spoken publicly about her daughter's death, but she wanted to do so now, as other young people head back to school and face difficult choices.
She wants her story to reach parents who know in their gut that their child is in trouble.
"Go with your heart if you think something is wrong, don't wait," said Misty Bickley. "That's the biggest thing. Do not wait. Do whatever it takes to keep your kids safe."
For those considering joining gangs and committing crimes, the heartbroken mother has one simple message.
"Think about what you're doing to another family," she said.
The Cleveland County District Attorney's office said Byers' murder case is scheduled for a conference hearing at the end of August.
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