In a harrowing incident on April 18, 2025, a 17-year-old boy, known only by his initials J.G., tragically killed his own mother, Amber Gray (also known as Amber Monique), while trying to protect her from his abusive stepfather, Ziare Dalton.
This incident has shocked the community and raised difficult questions about the effects of domestic violence, the role of young people in protecting their loved ones, and the consequences of a violent household.
The devastating loss of Amber Gray, a mother of four, and the charges now facing J.G., have highlighted the dire need for increased awareness and action against family violence.
The events that unfolded on April 18 were nothing short of heartbreaking. According to court documents and police reports, Amber Gray, a mother of four children, was enduring an abusive assault at the hands of her partner, Ziare Dalton, inside their home. At approximately 9:00 p.m., Amber called 911, desperate for help.
During the call, she told the dispatcher, “He’s hitting me, now he’s hitting my son.” This chilling plea for help set the stage for what would follow, and the immediate danger to Amber and her children became painfully apparent.
In response to his mother’s call for help, J.G., her 17-year-old son, rushed downstairs, armed with a gun. Witnesses and investigators later stated that the boy’s intentions were to defend his mother from the ongoing attack. Tragically, what happened next was not the intended act of protection that J.G. had hoped for.
As J.G. entered the scene, shots rang out. Police would later report that approximately 10 gunshots were heard on the 911 call before it abruptly cut off. While J.G. had hoped to stop his stepfather from continuing the assault on his mother, the tragic consequence was that both his mother and stepfather were shot.
Amber Gray, who was shot in the head, died four days later from her injuries. Ziare Dalton, however, survived the gunshot and was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The tragic loss of Amber Gray, a woman who had just begun to see her youngest child start walking, was compounded by the emotional devastation experienced by her surviving children.
Among the four children left behind was a baby who had just reached the milestone of walking, and who will now have to grow up without the mother they desperately needed.
The death of Amber Gray and the charges against J.G. have underscored the long-standing issue of domestic violence and its insidious effects on families.
According to investigators and family members, Ziare Dalton had a history of abusive behavior, which had been directed towards Amber Gray for an extended period of time. Court documents reveal that Amber had previously reported incidents of physical violence at the hands of her partner.
Tragically, despite these previous incidents, Amber had felt trapped in her abusive relationship, unable to escape the cycle of violence that had consumed her family life.
Domestic violence experts stress the devastating impact that abuse has on not just the victim but also on the children who witness it. In this case, J.G. grew up in an environment of fear and violence.
His decision to intervene by grabbing a weapon to protect his mother was likely a response to years of witnessing his mother’s suffering and his helplessness in stopping the violence.
The presence of children in an abusive environment can have lasting psychological effects, which can include feelings of powerlessness, trauma, and a skewed sense of how to handle conflict. J.G.’s actions, while stemming from a place of love and protection, were unfortunately marked by a tragic mistake that resulted in the death of the one person he was trying to save.
Ziare Dalton’s role in this tragic event extends beyond the immediate violence of that night. Dalton, a man with a criminal history of violent behavior, now faces felony murder charges for his involvement in the deadly altercation.
According to law enforcement, Dalton’s actions, which included physically assaulting Amber Gray in front of her children, directly led to the tragic chain of events. His physical violence, compounded by J.G.’s attempt to intervene, ultimately led to Amber’s death.
Dalton’s background reveals a history of violent behavior, which investigators believe may have played a role in escalating the situation that led to the fatal shooting. As the case develops, there are likely to be further legal consequences for Dalton, who is now facing charges of felony murder for his role in the altercation that resulted in Amber’s death.
