Two teenage boys have been arrested in Florida after their older sister was fatally shot following an alleged row over who had received more Christmas presents.
Abrielle Baldwin, 23, was allegedly shot in the chest by her 14-year-old brother after telling him to “stop arguing because it was Christmas,” according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s office.
The other brother, aged 15, then allegedly produced a second weapon and shot his brother in the stomach before fleeing the scene.
Baldwin, who was carrying her 11-month child in a baby carrier at the time of the shooting, was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Baldwin had suffered internal bleeding and was unable to breathe but the baby in the carrier was not harmed.
The 14-year-old was also taken to hospital, where he remains in a stable condition. He was arrested and charged with first degree murder, child abuse, and delinquent in possession of a firearm.
The 15-year-old boy was also arrested and charged with attempted first degree murder and tampering with physical evidence.
He was taken to a mental health facility due to self-harm statements and will be transferred to the custody of the Pinellas Juvenile Assessment Center once he is released, according to the department.
The Independent is not identifying the teenage boys as they are minors.
On Tuesday, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri told a press conference that the three siblings had gone shopping with their mother and Baldwin’s 11-month-old and six-year-old sons on Christmas Eve.
They then went to their grandmother’s home where the three were involved in a verbal altercation over Christmas gifts.
“They had this family spat about who was getting what and what money was being spent on who and they’re having this big thing going on in the store and they’re all arguing with each other,” he said.
“So you got the 14-year-old who’s mad at the 15-year-old because mom’s not buying equal amounts of gifts”. The younger teenager had threatened to shoot his brother in the head, he said.
The incident occurred after Baldwin told her younger brother to stop arguing because it was Christmas, the sheriff said.
“Baldwin had said: ‘You all need to leave that stuff alone. Why are you trying to start it? It’s Christmas,’” according to Sheriff Gaultieri.
Local prosecutors will review the case and decide whether to charge the 14-year-old as an adult for the alleged killing of his sister.
The sheriff said young people are getting guns by buying them on the street for cheap because they are stolen or finding them while breaking into cars.
“In the last thirty days, we’ve taken reports where 17 guns have been stolen from unlocked cars,” he said.
“This proliferation of guns on the streets and guns in this area and guns in the hands of these kids is the worst I’ve ever seen. I don’t think we’ve ever seen it this bad. Help us because we have a problem.”
The investigation into the fatal shooting is ongoing.
