In a tragic incident, a Florida teenager has been arrested and charged for fatally shooting his sister during a heated argument over gifts on Christmas Eve.
Abrielle Baldwin, 23, lost her life on Sunday when her 14-year-old brother, Damarcus, shot her in the chest at their grandmother’s residence. The situation escalated further when their 15-year-old brother, Darcus, responded by shooting Damarcus before leaving the scene, as detailed in a press release by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
What did the press release say?
The press release said, “They then went to their grandmother’s home where Damarcus, Darcus, and Abrielle were involved in a verbal altercation over Christmas gifts.”
“After Abrielle told Damarcus to stop arguing because it was Christmas, Damarcus told Abrielle he was going to shoot her and the 11-month-old she was holding in a baby carrier,” the statement read. “Damarcus shot Abrielle in the chest while Abrielle was holding the child in the carrier.”
“Shortly thereafter, Darcus exited the residence with another firearm and shot Damarcus because Damarcus shot Abrielle,” the press release added. “Darcus then fled the scene, tossing his firearm into a nearby yard. Detectives have been unable to locate the firearm used by Darcus.”
Darcus apparently received more gifts than Damarcus
Fox 13 revealed that Damarcus became upset over Darcus apparently receiving more gifts than him. Pinellas County Sheriff Gualtieri commented on the tragedy, describing Abrielle as a mother of two who was “just a woman going about life with her two kids, trying to make a living and trying to make it,”
Expressing concern about the prevalence of firearms, Sheriff Gualtieri stated, “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 it. I don’t think we’ve ever seen it this bad.”
Both Damarcus and Darcus are facing serious charges
Following the tragic incident, Darcus fled the scene but later reached out to his mother, and subsequently made self-harm statements. According to the police report, he has been transferred to a mental health facility. The statement read, “He will be transferred to the custody of the Pinellas Juvenile Assessment Center once he is released.”
Damarcus is facing serious charges including 1st-degree degree murder, child abuse, and delinquent in possession of a firearm. On the other hand, Darcus has been charged with Attempted 1st-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence. The investigation remains ongoing, as stated by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.