CUTHBERT, Ga. (WALB) - A mother is furious after the person arrested in connection to the shooting death of her son, is walking away with no jail time.

“I couldn’t believe that it was done that way. It was like to me, Tyrae’s life meant nothing,” Raquel Warren, the mother of the victim, said.

The DA’s Office told WALB that on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 19-year-old Kyle Gilbert, the son of a Cuthbert Police Department officer, pled guilty to the following charges:

• Involuntary manslaughter - 10 years probation with a $2,000 fine
• Reckless conduct - 12 months probation with no fine
• Reckless conduct - 12 months probation with no fine

The two counts of reckless conduct run concurrently with the count of involuntary manslaughter.

“That was absurd,” Warren said. “It sent a clear message of you can do a crime, but depending on who you know and what you know, you won’t do the time for it. You won’t be held accountable.”

Gilbert was arrested after fatally shooting 16-year-old Tyrae Campbell at Cuthbert Day Park on Sunday, Feb. 23.

A second person received non-life threatening injuries.

Warren said the charges and sentencing Gilbert received was not justice. Especially since she claims she wasn’t given the opportunity to speak to the court before they considered Gilbert’s plea.

“They called me yesterday, and said that they wanted to meet,” Warren said. “But they had already offered him a plea and everything, so why would you want to meet when the decision had already been made?”

WALB did reach out to the GBI to learn what led to the shooting, to better explain the involuntary manslaughter charge. As the victim’s mother believes Gilbert should’ve been charged with murder.

The GBI responded, “At this time, we do not have any more information that can be released beyond what is in our news release on the GBI website. Once the case is closed, you can file an open records request.”

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• One teen shot and killed in a park in Randolph County
• Grieving mother: Teen son shot and killed, another teen shot in the face
• ‘He would have had a better chance’: Cuthbert teen’s death highlights need for rural health care
• Schools across SGA raise money for families of students killed in Randolph County
• Schools across South Georgia deliver thousands of dollars to families of victims killed in Randolph County
• Memorial service held for Cuthbert teen
• Grieving Randolph Co. mother searching for answers after shooting death of 16-year-old

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook and X (Twitter). For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app from the Apple Store or Google Play.

Copyright 2025 WALB. All rights reserved.