Two years after her daughter was shot and killed, a mother faced her child's killer in court and did something that stunned everyone present.
She hugged him.
In November 2012, Jordyn Howe, now 16, accidentally shot 13-year-old Lourdes ‘Jina’ Guzman-DeJesus on a school bus in Miami, in the US.
The teenager had taken his stepfather’s pistol and brought it to school. He had reportedly been showing it off to his friends when the weapon went off, shooting Lourdes in the neck.
Lourdes tragically later died at the hospital.
Jordyn pleaded guilty this week to manslaughter with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm by a minor and carrying a concealed weapon.
In an incredible gesture of forgiveness and bravey, Lourdes' mother Ady, agreed to a plea deal for Jordyn which will allow him to avoid prison time.
The teen will be attending a juvenile rehabilitation academy and later, with the heartbroken mum by his side - will speak at schools about the dangers of guns.
“In 20 years, I’ve watched human tragedy unfold in this courtroom,” Judge Ellen Sue Venzer said. “I could have never imagined a victim’s mother embracing her child’s killer.”
“We can make a change to help other children,” the mum after the hearing. "[Howe] was Jina’s friend, too, and I know she wouldn’t want the worst."
