Relatives of 15-year-old Dion Hopkins were emotional outside of Dorchester District Court Monday after 16-year-old Amari Pope was charged in the teen's murder.
"Stop the damn killing, it's sad, it's sad," said an aunt of the victim.
Another aunt of the victim added, "He was a good kid, that's all I can tell you."
Prosecutors say Pope admitted to stabbing Hopkins after Hopkins allegedly got into a verbal fight with Pope's girlfriend outside of Pope's Columbia Road home Sunday afternoon.
Assistant District Attorney Gregory Henning said, "He swung a knife at Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Pope said he was not sure if he hit Mr. Hopkins, other witnesses on scene describe the swinging motion as more of a stabbing or a plunging motion."
Investigators say Hopkins ran across the street to a market where he collapsed from his injuries.
Henning said, "Multiple witnesses described Mr. Pope following Mr. Hopkins across the street and video surveillance shows moments after Mr. Hopkins fell to the ground essentially lifeless, Mr. Pope standing over him and in fact circling him with a knife visible in his hand."
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Hopkins was rushed to Boston Medical Center but he died of a stab wound to his heart, just five weeks shy of his 16th birthday.
Hopkins's uncle said this is a tragedy both for his family and for Pope's family.
His uncle Charles Skinner said, "I feel bad for him, I feel bad for him, of course you have animosity somebody killing one of your loved ones but it's sad like I said it's a child, man it's a child."
Prosecutors said Pope has a lengthy juvenile record including unarmed robbery, assault and battery, and cutting off a GPS monitoring bracelet.
He's being held without bail.
Pope is due back in court on March 30th.
