PINELLAS COUNTY, FL - According to law enforcement authorities, a 14-year-old boy fatally shot his sister during an argument over gifts they received for Christmas.
The young boy had been out shopping on Christmas Eve with his 23-year-old sister, Abrielle Baldwin as well as his mother, another brother and his sister's children. The teenage brothers started arguing over who was getting more Christmas presents.
CBS News reported that during a news conference, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said, "They had a family spat about who was getting what and what money was being spent on who, and they were having this big thing going on in this store."
After they finished shopping, the teenage boys continued to argue at their grandmother's house in Largo, which is where they all went so that the grandmother could babysit Baldwin's children while she was at work.
Once inside of the house, the 14-year-old boy allegedly pulled out a handgun and pointed it at his brother. He told his brother that he was going to "shoot him in the head."
The brother, who is a year older, said that he didn't want to fight and told his brother to get out of the house. One of their uncles was able to separate the boys and got the 14-year-old boy out of the house, where Baldwin was with her baby. According to Gualtieri, Baldwin said to her little brother, "You all need to leave that stuff alone. Why you trying to start it? It's Christmas."
The young boy allegedly proceeded to call his big sister several derogatory names and told her that he was going to shoot her and her baby. The 14-year-old boy allegedly shot Baldwin in the chest. Gualtieri said that the baby, who was next to his mother's chest in a carrier, was not injured.
Police said that after he shot his sister, the 15-year-old brother came outside with his own handgun and allegedly shot the 14-year-old in the stomach. He fled the scene and threw the gun into a nearby yard. The 15-year-old was taken into custody at a relative's house.
According to officials, Baldwin was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Gualtieri said that the bullet traveled through her left arm and into her chest, popping both of her lungs. She suffered internal bleeding and was unable to breathe.
Gualtieri said, "She was just a woman going about life, doing her thing with her two kids. Now you got an 11-month-old and a six-year-old boy, and their mom's dead."
The 14-year-old who was shot in the stomach underwent surgery and is reportedly in stable condition at the hospital. He has been charged with first-degree murder, child abuse, and being a delinquent in possession of a firearm. The Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney's Office will review the case and decide whether the teen will be charged as an adult.
The 15-year-old brother has been charged with attempted first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence. Police said that both teens have prior arrests for car burglaries. Gualtieri said, "These young kids — 14, 15-years-old — routinely carry firearms and this is what happens when you got young delinquents that carry guns."
He added, "They get upset, they don't know how to handle stuff, and they end up shooting each other, and one of them kills his sister." He said that the 14-year-old has arrests dating to when he was 12-years-old, including being a minor in possession of a gun, disorderly conduct, grand theft auto, auto burglaries, and battery on a school employee.
The young boy had been out shopping on Christmas Eve with his 23-year-old sister, Abrielle Baldwin as well as his mother, another brother and his sister's children. The teenage brothers started arguing over who was getting more Christmas presents.
CBS News reported that during a news conference, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said, "They had a family spat about who was getting what and what money was being spent on who, and they were having this big thing going on in this store."
After they finished shopping, the teenage boys continued to argue at their grandmother's house in Largo, which is where they all went so that the grandmother could babysit Baldwin's children while she was at work.
Once inside of the house, the 14-year-old boy allegedly pulled out a handgun and pointed it at his brother. He told his brother that he was going to "shoot him in the head."
The brother, who is a year older, said that he didn't want to fight and told his brother to get out of the house. One of their uncles was able to separate the boys and got the 14-year-old boy out of the house, where Baldwin was with her baby. According to Gualtieri, Baldwin said to her little brother, "You all need to leave that stuff alone. Why you trying to start it? It's Christmas."
The young boy allegedly proceeded to call his big sister several derogatory names and told her that he was going to shoot her and her baby. The 14-year-old boy allegedly shot Baldwin in the chest. Gualtieri said that the baby, who was next to his mother's chest in a carrier, was not injured.
Police said that after he shot his sister, the 15-year-old brother came outside with his own handgun and allegedly shot the 14-year-old in the stomach. He fled the scene and threw the gun into a nearby yard. The 15-year-old was taken into custody at a relative's house.
According to officials, Baldwin was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Gualtieri said that the bullet traveled through her left arm and into her chest, popping both of her lungs. She suffered internal bleeding and was unable to breathe.
Gualtieri said, "She was just a woman going about life, doing her thing with her two kids. Now you got an 11-month-old and a six-year-old boy, and their mom's dead."
The 14-year-old who was shot in the stomach underwent surgery and is reportedly in stable condition at the hospital. He has been charged with first-degree murder, child abuse, and being a delinquent in possession of a firearm. The Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney's Office will review the case and decide whether the teen will be charged as an adult.
The 15-year-old brother has been charged with attempted first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence. Police said that both teens have prior arrests for car burglaries. Gualtieri said, "These young kids — 14, 15-years-old — routinely carry firearms and this is what happens when you got young delinquents that carry guns."
He added, "They get upset, they don't know how to handle stuff, and they end up shooting each other, and one of them kills his sister." He said that the 14-year-old has arrests dating to when he was 12-years-old, including being a minor in possession of a gun, disorderly conduct, grand theft auto, auto burglaries, and battery on a school employee.
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