US Florida brother fatally shoots sister after fight over Christmas gifts

A teen boy allegedly fatally shot his older sibling in Florida after an argument over Christmas gifts.

The 14-year-old brother shot at his 23-year-old sister, identified as Abrielle Baldwin, after a verbal spat between the two over presents on Christmas Eve.

The accused brother had stepped out for Christmas shopping as well as his mother, and 15-year-old brother and sister’s children, Pinellas County Sheriff said at a press briefing.

The argument, as per the authorities, did not sound very serious and perhaps straight out of any ordinary household. They broke into an argument over Christmas presents and who was getting more gifts.

“They had this family spat about who was getting what and what money was being spent on whom, and they were having this big thing going on in this store,” the US authorities said, adding that the boys continued to argue at their grandmother’s house in Largo thereafter.

Once they reached the grandmother’s place, the 14-year-old boy allegedly pulled out a semiautomatic handgun, pointed it at his elder brother and threatened to shoot him in the head, as per the police. To this, the elder sibling said that he did not want to fight and asked his younger brother to get out of the house.

According to the Pinellas County Sheriff, the elder sister intervened in the quarrel and said, “You all need to leave the stuff alone. Why are you trying to start it? It is Christmas!”

The 14-year-old boy then referred to his sister with several derogatory words and told her that he was going to shoot her and her 11-month-old baby. He allegedly shot her in the chest around 1:45 pm (local time) on the day before Christmas. The baby, who was in a carrier, was not injured, the police said.

The elder brother then rushed outside with a handgun of his own and allegedly shot the 14-year-old brother in the stomach, the police said. He then fled the scene after throwing the gun into a yard in the surroundings. The police took the teen into custody at a relative’s house.

The sister, now deceased, was taken to a hospital where she was declared dead. The police said that the bullet travelled through her left arm, into her chest and popped both of her lungs. She suffered internal bleeding and was unable to breathe, the police said.

Meanwhile, the wounded 14-year-old boy has undergone surgery for single gunshot wounds and his condition is now stable. He has been charged with first-degree murder, child abuse, being a delinquent in possession of a firearm and tampering with evidence, the police said. The authorities stated he was located and taken to a mental health facility due to self-harm statements.

“These young kids…14, 15-year-olds… routinely carry firearms and this is what happens when you have young delinquents that carry guns,” the Pinellas County Sheriff said during the press briefing.

The authorities also noted that the attorney’s office will take a call on whether the teen should be charged as an adult. Also, both these teens have prior arrests for car burglaries, as per the Florida Police.