A 14-year-old who allegedly shot and killed his mother was arrested in Riverview, Florida, on Saturday, according to local authorities.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office shared that not only was the boy’s mother killed in the shooting, but her boyfriend was left with multiple gunshot wounds.
The sheriff’s office was notified of the shooting just after 4 p.m. on Saturday. According to Sheriff Chad Chronister, who spoke with reporters during a press conference, the sheriff’s office received numerous 911 calls about the incident.
“The scene behind me is one that nightmares are made of,” Chronister said. “And that is extremely heartbreaking.”
When deputies dispatched to the scene arrived, they found the 14-year-old boy, who Chronister said allegedly pointed the firearm at his own head at least six times, threatening to kill himself.
After speaking with the boy for 16 minutes, deputies were able to deploy non-lethal projectiles at him so he would not reach for the gun again.
Once he was no longer a threat, he was taken into custody.
Chronister said that deputies also responded to a call about a man who had fled his house after being shot five times. The man, later identified as the boyfriend of the suspect’s mother, sustained gunshot wounds to the hands, lower torso, and face.
The man was taken to Tampa General Hospital in critical condition.
The suspect’s mother’s body was found lying in the driveway of a home a few blocks away. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Chronister shared that the suspect’s older brother spoke with deputies, saying he heard his mother and her boyfriend arguing before several gunshots rang out. He was in his bedroom at his time, and after leaving to see what was going on, he found his brother, who then pointed the gun at him.
He noted that the older brother then fled the scene.
The authorities believe the 14-year-old shot his mother’s boyfriend before killing his own mother following a dispute.
Then, the sheriff shared that he allegedly began going through the neighborhood to find the mother’s boyfriend to “finish the job.”
“This family’s lives have been changed forever. They lost a mother,” Chronister said. “This is heartbreaking. Our suspect is only 14 years of age. This 14-year-old young boy’s life is over. He will never see the outside of a detention facility.”
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing as the sheriff’s office awaits a search warrant.