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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Josh Salisbury

Mother, 23, shot dead after Christmas presents row erupts with her teenage brothers in Florida

Two teenage boys have been arrested after their sister - who had two sons - was shot dead in an argument over Christmas presents, police in Florida have said.

The 23-year-old woman was killed while she was holding her 11-month-old baby in a carrier, said detectives with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

In a press conference, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said the shooting happened on Christmas Eve during an argument about presents.

He told reporters that two teenagers, a fourteen-year-old and a fifteen-year-old,  went shopping with their sister, their mother, and their sister’s 11-month-old and six-year-old sons.

They then visited their grandparents’ house, where an argument between the teenagers and their sister broke out.

Police allege one of the teenagers shot his sister in the chest, but the baby she was carrying was unharmed. 

The other brother then allegedly chased him and shot him with his own firearm, because he had shot their sister.  He threw away his gun, and police have been unable to find it.

Sheriff Gualtieri said minors in the area were able to get hold of guns by buying them on the street for cheap because they are stolen or through car burglaries.  

He told local residents: "In the last thirty days, we’ve taken reports where seventeen guns have been stolen from unlocked cars. Help us because we have a problem. Lock your doors."

One of the teenagers was arrested and charged with first degree murder, child abuse, and delinquent in possession of a firearm.

The other was charged with attempted first degree murder and tampering with physical evidence, police said.

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