Darian Trotter WGNO News

January 31, 2012
NEW ORLEANS—
He's been identified as the man who used neighborhood kids as a human shield.

Now the 38-year old is in police custody.

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You wouldn't know it from looking; but one of the boys seen playing basketball in New Orleans East Tuesday was shot multiple times, just six weeks ago.

The terrifying moments are forever etched in his mother's mind.

She's now pleased to hear police have made an arrest.

"So whatever happens to him that's good for him because you should care more about kids," Cathy Tillman said.

Neighborhood kids were playing in New Orleans East, mid-December when a man with a gun started firing shots at a passing car.

Word on the street is that he used children as a human shield.

"The way the kids told it to me they ran on the side of the house and they had kids playing in front the house and he kept on running and he bent down and started shooting through the kids," Tillman said.

Her 9-year old son spent Christmas recovering.

He was struck twice in the back and once in his arm; where the bullet went straight through him.

Cathy Tillman worried is sick that shoot outs between adults in her neighborhood are not over.

"I'm just worried about the safety of these kids because a lot of the kids out here play in this area and they don't care about the kids," Tillman said. "They just do what they want to do and forget about the kids."

Witnesses identified 38-year old Aaron Sleeper as the shooter.

He's been arrested and charged; as neighborhood kids are back to being kids.

"I'm thankful that they done arrested him and hopefully everything will be okay now," Tillman said.

Parents there say they've restricted their children to only play in their yard.