Damarcus Coley threatened to shoot his sister and her 10-month-old child, and then pulled out a gun and shot her in the chest, said Sheriff Bob Gualtieri.
A family feud turned fatal in Florida on Christmas Eve.
Abrielle Baldwin, 23, a young mother who had welcomed her second child just six months ago, was shot dead by her 14-year-old brother Damarcus Coley, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO).
Moments later, Darcus Coley, 15, shot his brother Damarcus while yelling “you shot my m*****f****** sister,” Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said at a new conference on Sunday.
It all stemmed from an incident that started earlier that day while the three siblings were shopping for Christmas gifts with their mother and Abrielle’s two children, ages six and 10 months, according to the PCSO.
Sheriff Gualtieri said that Damarcus became angry at some point because he believed their mother had purchased more gifts for his brother Darcus.
Once the shopping trip concluded, three siblings head to their grandmother’s house so she could watch Abrielle’s two children while the new mom went to work according to PCSO.
The brothers once again began to argue after arriving at their grandmother’s house, which led to Damarcus pulling out a gun and threatening to shot his brother in the head said Sheriff Gualtieri.
At this point the boys’ uncle separated them and Damarcus went outside, where his sister soon joined him and offered up some advice, according to the PCSO.
“Why you trying to start it? It’s Christmas,” Abrielle told Damarcus according to PCSO.
He responded by threatening to shoot his sister and her 10-month-old child, and then pulled out a gun and shot her in the chest said Sheriff Gualtieri.
In the aftermath of that shooting, Darcus ran outside and opened fire before tossing his gun and fleeing the scene according to PCSO.
First responders rushed the injured parties to the hospital, where Damarcus underwent emergency stomach surgery while his sister was pronounced dead.
Damarcus is now in stable condition while his sister's children are without a mother.
“She was just a woman going about life doing her thing with her two kids,” said Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of the victim. “Trying to make a living, trying to make it and her brother killed her.”
Damarcus was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, child abuse, and delinquent in possession of a firearm, while Darcus was arrested and charged with attempted first-degree degree murder and tampering with physical evidence.
Neither has entered a plea at this time and prosecutors have yet to decide if they will try the two as adults.
