'Neighborhood aunt' regrets close relationship with man accused of killing teenager in car break-in

GALLATIN, Tenn. (WSMV) – An affidavit reveals new details about the background to a shooting that killed a Gallatin teenager Sunday night.

Adrian Wilkerson, 20, is charged with second-degree murder after allegedly shooting a teenager who was breaking into cars.

The affidavit states that the shooting occurred Sunday evening near a white van.

The van belongs to Candice Wright, who proudly calls herself the neighborhood aunt.

“I watched Adrian and all the kids grow up here,” Wright said.

Wright said Wilkerson was always helpful.

“Adrian has done his best since I met him here in the community,” Wright said. “It was always 'Yes, ma'am,' 'Ms. Candice, do you need help?'”

Wright said Wilkerson did so much for her that she wanted to pay it forward.

“I just gave him a nice picnic on Friday because thanks to his help with my business, he wants to ask his girlfriend to be his girlfriend. Kids don't do that anymore… it's just because of the connection I had with him,” Wright said.

But now she regrets this close bond.

“It's hard for me to say if Adrian would have done that if it was someone else's car. I don't know if Adrian would have done that, but he would have,” Wright said. “But because it was my van, he said, 'Not Miss Candice's van.'”

After learning about the shooting, Wright said, she wished she hadn't known him and he hadn't protected her belongings.

“We pray for this young man and his family because he was a child and our condolences are with him no matter what happens, no matter what crime he committed,” Wright said.

New details from the affidavit show that Wilkerson was shot first.

But police said in the court document that the teen no longer posed an immediate threat because Wilkerson ran after him. Police then claimed Wilkerson tampered with the gun before police arrived.

Now his mother believes her son is being portrayed as a monster, and she is convinced that this is simply not true.

She said: “If you know my son, you know that he is, first and foremost, a protector.”

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