LARGO, Fla. — On Christmas Eve, a dispute over who was getting more gifts among siblings took a tragic turn when a woman holding her 11-month-old son was shot and killed by her 14-year-old brother.
The altercation started among the siblings Damarcus Coley (14), Darcus Coley (15), and Abrielle Baldwin (23) during Christmas shopping in Largo, Florida, “over who was getting what and how much money was being spent on who,” according to Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri.
The situation escalated when they arrived at their grandmother’s home, and Damarcus threatened to shoot Abrielle and her 11-month-old. Despite Abrielle's plea to stop arguing because it was Christmas, Damarcus shot her in the chest while she held the baby. In retaliation, Darcus shot Damarcus, fled the scene, and tossed his firearm.
Only one of the two weapons was recovered at the scene, and Gualtieri says he's afraid someone will find the missing gun and use it in another crime. He states that guns are being acquired by juveniles through auto burglaries or by buying them cheaply off the street because they are stolen.
“The problem is, we got way too many kids out there with way too many guns,” Gualtieri said. “We need to get serious [about gun laws], and we need to get tough.”
After the incident, the police were called, and Abrielle was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was declared dead. Damarcus was also taken to a local hospital and arrested; he is now in stable condition, Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
As the investigation continues, the sheriff's office reports that Damarcus was charged with first-degree murder, child abuse, and delinquency in possession of a firearm. Meanwhile, Darcus was charged with attempted first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence.
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