NKY woman speaks out saying her son was shot and killed

INDEPENDENCE, Ky. (WXIX) - A Tri-State mother who says her son was shot and killed in Independence Friday night is speaking out.

This comes after Kenton County Prosecutor Rob Sanders said a 17-year-old was arrested for murder in connection to the shooting.

Barbie Burns fought back tears as she described her son 23-year-old Seth Burns. She said he was the man police say was shot in the stomach at a home on Archer Court. He was airlifted to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center where he later died.

“We actually beat the helicopter there,” Burns recalled. “They rushed him straight to surgery, and they operated for over two hours. And I will say their trauma team is amazing. He just had too much damage to repair.”

Police say the shooting followed an ongoing dispute between two groups of people. They arrested a 17-year-old suspect accused of firing a round that hit Burns in the stomach.

Police say a second suspect - 20-year-old XXavion Turner - was arrested for complicity to murder, first-degree wanton endangerment, and tampering with physical evidence.

“The situation is sad for all parties involved,” Burns said.

Burns said that Seth was at the Archer Court home with his girlfriend and his girlfriend’s friend.

“I don’t understand why they would pick him of everyone standing there,” Burns added. “But it was due to an ex-boyfriend and a girlfriend. And it’s sad. It’s so sad. Seth would do anything for anybody. He was by far the best young man ever.”

Burns says Seth was the eldest of six children who loved his family deeply and had a passion for traveling. He now leaves behind a one-year-old son.

“Going to just try to make sure he knows who he is, Burns explained. “At some point, he’ll be old enough to understand, and we just want him to know his dad.”

She says their family will also make sure the mark Seth left on the world will never fade.

“He is so deeply missed by everyone. He is kind and caring and always doing something to help somebody else.,” Burns shared. “He was just honestly an amazing, amazing young man.”

“He was absolutely the best part of my life, and he’s just going to be so missed by so many people.”

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