A New Jersey man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for a shooting that killed a nine-year-old girl after a family dispute that began on Facebook turned violent. Isiah M. Roberts, now 23, was sentenced on October 23, 2026, for the death of fourth-grader Sequoya Bacon-Jones.
Roberts pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter in April 2026. The shooting happened on March 25, 2022, at the Kingsbury Square Apartments in Trenton. The argument began online, according to police and court records. Roberts’ sister had gotten into a dispute with another woman on Facebook, and the disagreement eventually spilled into the apartment complex’s courtyard.
She died shortly before midnight
As the argument turned into a physical fight, relatives reportedly sent Roberts, who was 19 at the time, around 40 text messages and phone calls urging him to come over. When he arrived, family members pointed out someone they considered an enemy. Rather than walk away, Roberts went to get a 9mm handgun, according to court records.
He fired two shots at the adult he had allegedly intended to target. As people in the courtyard ran for cover, he fired four more rounds. Sequoya was playing outside with her brother and friends when the gunfire erupted. The fourth-grader, who loved STEM subjects and dreamed of becoming a police officer, tried to flee with her brother. A bullet struck her in the upper torso.
Her mother, Sacha Bacon-Jones, was nearby and rushed to her daughter after she fell. Paramedics took Sequoya to a local hospital before she was airlifted to a specialist medical center in New Brunswick.
Doctors tried to save her, but her condition deteriorated during the emergency transfer. She died shortly before midnight. Roberts fled after the shooting, setting off a search that lasted several days. Police eventually found him in a wooded area near Route 129 in Hamilton, New Jersey. He was captured after a brief foot chase.
The case came to an emotional point during sentencing, when Sequoya’s family brought her ashes into the courtroom. Her mother addressed Roberts directly, describing the dispute that led to her daughter’s death as “stupid Facebook stuff.” According to Law&Crime, Sacha Bacon-Jones said she had chosen to forgive Roberts because she did not want to spend the rest of her life consumed by hatred.
He said he never intended to harm a child
However, she also wanted him to remember the child who had lost her life. “I just don’t want him to forget my daughter,” she said. Roberts did not speak during the hearing. His attorney, John Hartmann, told the court that his client had never intended to kill a child and deeply regretted his actions.
Judge Robert Lytle criticized Roberts for bringing a gun into what began as a personal dispute. Prosecutor Michael Grillo also pointed to the dangers of gun violence in a case that ended with a child being killed. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Roberts must serve at least 15 years and three months of his 18-year sentence before he can be considered for parole.
Published: Oct 28, 2026 11:00 am