A shooting Wednesday killed an Omaha teenager in a place his mother said was one of his favorite hangouts, and said she doesn't think it was an accident.

Tyrone Simpson, 17, was shot Wednesday night at 43rd and Miami streets and later died at a hospital.

Witnesses said the shooting, which happened after 6 p.m., was accidental. Chrissy Dare, who lives nearby, said seven to nine teenagers stayed at the park, then she heard a single gunshot.



"Someone yelled, 'Oh my God. Oh my God. You shot him. I think he's dead!' And so we called the cops," Dare said. "'I think you shot him. It was my dad's gun. What are we going to do?'"

Dare said that several teenagers stayed at the scene until the rescue squad arrived, then left for houses across the street.

Simpson's mother, Gallandra, said the park was her son's favorite hangout, and he often played football and basketball there. Gallandra Simpson said she doesn't know who shot her son, but she doesn't think it was an accident.

"People have these guns, and they're not locking them up, and they get into the wrong hands, and they're taking people's lives. For what? For what?" Simpson said. "He ain't even begun his life, you know?"

Simpson said sports and drawing were her son's passions. She said that like most children, he's had some troubles. She said her son started getting into trouble after the murder of his stepfather, Ray Brown, who was stabbed to death in 1997.

"He lost a lot of loved ones and hasn't had a chance to heal," she said.

Simpson said things were just starting to get better. Last spring, she transferred Tyrone to Northwest High School, and she said his grades were going up and their relationship was improving.

"I'm a single mother. I do the best I can, you know?" Simpson said. "He wanted to do a lot of things. He wanted to graduate high school, go to college. He wanted to go to pro football, and he's not going to get the chance because someone took his life."

Simpson said she wanted to deliver a message to the shooter.

"You're not a man with a gun. You're not," she said.