Teen in Florida charged with fatally shooting sister amid a dispute over Christmas presents.

Abrielle Baldwin, a 23-year-old mother of a 6-year-old and an 11-month-old, was tragically shot and killed by her 14-year-old brother on Christmas Eve, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

In a tragic incident on Christmas Eve, a 14-year-old teenager in Florida fatally shot his sister during an argument over Christmas gifts. However, the situation took an even darker turn when, moments later, the 14-year-old was shot by his own teenage brother, according to authorities.

The dispute initially arose while the two brothers, aged 14 and 15, were shopping with their mother and sister on Christmas Eve Sunday. The argument escalated over the distribution of Christmas gifts, as explained by Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri during a press conference.

After the shopping trip, the family, consisting of the two boys, their mother, 23-year-old sister Abrielle Baldwin, and Baldwin’s two young children (ages 6 and 11 months), went to their grandmother’s home in Largo. The disagreement continued at the grandmother’s house.

At this point, the 14-year-old brother confronted his 15-year-old brother, brandishing a .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun and threatening to shoot him in the head, according to Sheriff Gualtieri. Attempts were made to encourage a physical altercation between the brothers, but an uncle intervened, separating them and moving the 14-year-old outside to the driveway area.

At this point, the 14-year-old brother confronted his 15-year-old brother, brandishing a .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun and threatening to shoot him in the head, according to Sheriff Gualtieri. Attempts were made to encourage a physical altercation between the brothers, but an uncle intervened, separating them and moving the 14-year-old outside to the driveway area.

Despite her pleas, the 14-year-old continued arguing with Abrielle, using derogatory language, and ultimately shot her in the chest while she held her infant in the carrier. Abrielle fell, and the baby also fell but was fortunately unharmed.

Following the tragic shooting of Abrielle, the 15-year-old brother emerged from the residence carrying a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun. He confronted the 14-year-old, exclaiming, “You shot my motherf—— sister!” and proceeded to shoot the 14-year-old once in the stomach, according to information from the sheriff’s office. The sheriff emphasized that there was an “eight-second gap” between the moment the 14-year-old shot Abrielle and the subsequent shooting of the 14-year-old. Importantly, at the time he was shot, the 14-year-old was no longer in possession of his firearm, as clarified by the sheriff. Subsequently, the 15-year-old fled the scene, discarding his gun in a nearby yard, and sought refuge at a relative’s house in Clearwater.

Abrielle was transported to a hospital and succumbed to her injuries. Sheriff Gualtieri expressed the tragedy of the situation, stating, “She was just a woman going about life doing her thing with her two kids. Now you got an 11-month-old and a 6-year-old boy, and their mom’s dead.”

The 14-year-old, after undergoing surgery and reaching stable condition, will be released from the hospital to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. He faces charges of first-degree murder, child abuse, and being delinquent in possession of a firearm. The Pinellas-Pasco County State Attorney’s Office will decide whether he will be charged as an adult.

The 15-year-old brother, found in Clearwater, made self-harm statements, prompting his admission to a mental health facility. He faces charges of attempted first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence.

While the .40 caliber handgun used by the 14-year-old was recovered, the .45 caliber gun used by the 15-year-old remains missing.

Sheriff Gualtieri revealed that during their investigation, it was discovered that the teenage brothers “carried guns all the time.” He explained that the brothers obtained their firearms by “stealing them from unlocked cars, they’re out in the middle of the night doing car burglaries.” Both were previously arrested for numerous car burglaries in Oldsmar in May.

The sheriff emphasized the concerning trend of young individuals routinely carrying firearms. He stated, “These young kids, 14, 15 years old, routinely carry firearms, and this is what happens when you got young delinquents that carry guns. They get upset; they don’t know how to handle stuff, so they just take out their guns and start shooting each other, and one of them kills his sister.”

The 14-year-old has a history of arrests dating back to when he was 12 years old, including charges of minor in possession with a gun, disorderly conduct, grand theft auto, auto burglaries, and battery on a school employee, according to Sheriff Gualtieri. The sheriff called attention to the urgent need for tougher laws to address such situations, expressing concern about the proliferation of guns in the hands of young individuals and the lack of adequate consequences.

Source : NBC News