child abuse, fatal shooting, Florida

A fatal shooting in White Springs, Florida has led to child abuse charges against the parents of the siblings involved. The 15 year old girl who is not being named shot her 16 year old brother and called him after she says he beat her and locked her in her room. When police investigated the home the 15 year old girl’s bedroom only contained a bucket in the closet for bathroom purposes and a blanket. After the parents were contacted they admitted that they often locked the girl up, for as long as 20 days at a time. The teens father was a truck driver and their mother often went along on trips, leaving the 16 year old boy in charge of his 15 year old sibling as well as two other female siblings who were 11 and 3 years old at the time.

The fatal shooting in Florida occurred after the 16 year old beat the 15 year old girl and then locked her in the bedroom. Police say the girl has been abused for years, and she finally had enough. The 15 year old convinced the 11 year old to unlock the door, and she then went through her parent’s bedroom window in order to get to the gun because their door was locked. The 16 year old was sleeping in the living room when he was fatally shot. Both older sisters are in a juvenile facility and the 3 year old was taken into protective custody by the state. The parents admit that the 15 year old was very disturbed, saying she had attempted suicide several times and been molested by an uncle who was convicted in 2010. In 2011 the parents found the siblings having sex. In spite of this the police and protective workers were never called by the parents who are now being charged with child abuse.