Teen brothers’ fight over Christmas gifts ends with sister fatally shot, Florida cops say
An argument over Christmas presents between brothers led to one of the teens shooting their older sister when she tried to intervene, a Florida sheriff’s office said.
Two brothers, ages 14 and 15, began fighting on a family shopping trip in Largo on Christmas Eve about their presents, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said in a Dec. 26 news conference.
McClatchy News is not identifying the teens because of their age.
The older brother was jealous about the number of presents their mother bought for his younger brother, the sheriff said.
The argument followed them to their grandmother’s house, according to the sheriff, where their older sister, 23, was dropping off her two children to be watched.
The brothers continued arguing as the fight escalated, and the 14-year-old pulled out a gun and pointed it at his brother’s head, threatening to shoot, the sheriff said.
The fight was broken up by their uncle and the 14-year-old went outside, Gualtieri said.
Their older sister followed him out while carrying her 11-month-old child in a baby carrier and asked her brother to calm down, the sheriff said.
Then the 14-year-old started arguing with her and called her derogatory names before pulling his gun out again and shooting his sister in the chest, according to the sheriff.
The 15-year-old brother ran out and started shooting at his brother, saying, “you shot my … sister,” according to the sheriff’s office.
The 14-year-old was shot in the stomach, the sheriff said. He underwent surgery and is expected to survive.
The older teen then ran from the house and threw the gun into a yard as he fled, the sheriff said. He was taken into custody at a relative’s home in Clearwater.
Their 23-year-old sister died from her injuries, Gualteiri said, but the baby she was carrying was uninjured.
The 15-year-old faces charges of first-degree attempted murder and tampering with physical evidence, the sheriff’s office said.
His brother was arrested on charges of first-degree murder, child abuse and being a delinquent in possession of a firearm, the sheriff’s office said in a Dec. 26 news release.
The State Attorney’s Office will review the case to determine if the 14-year-old will be tried as an adult.
Largo is about 25 miles west of Tampa.
This story was originally published December 26, 2023 at 4:21 PM with the headline "Teen brothers’ fight over Christmas gifts ends with sister fatally shot, Florida cops say."
