A 14-year-old boy was arrested in Florida after fatally shooting his mother. A second victim was also shot.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said police responded on Saturday to reports of a shooting in Riverview, about 14 miles from Tampa, when simultaneously calls came in about a young male running through the Summerfield subdivision with a handgun.
When officers arrived on scene, they found the suspect, who repeatedly put the gun to his head and threatened to shoot himself. That’s when police began de-escalation tactics.
"The deputies who negotiated with this suspect for more than 16 minutes were calm, collected, and ultimately successful in convincing him to lower his weapon," Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a press release. "They used their remarkable intuition and expertise to determine this suspect was not looking to harm them, but was contemplating suicide."
The suspect eventually lowered his weapon, but attempted to retrieve it. Police said they deployed a "less lethal round," hitting the suspect in the hand with a 40 mm launcher to gain compliance and safely get him into custody.
While this was happening, other units were rushing to the aid of a male victim in the Summerfield subdivision. He was shot by the suspect and ran to a neighbor's home for help, police said. The male was airlifted to a local hospital, where he is in critical condition and remains sedated.
While the boy was being taken into custody, a female victim was found shot dead on a driveway down the road. Police confirmed to Scripps News that the woman was the suspect's mother. The male victim was identified as the boyfriend of the suspect's mother.
"This scene is one of nightmares and absolute heartbreak," Chronister said. "This family's life is forever changed. A victim's life was taken, and because of his actions, the suspect's life, as he knows it, is over. He will never see the outside of a detention facility for his crimes."
The suspect also attempted to shoot his brother, the brother told police. He said he witnessed the suspect shoot his mother, and then he turned the gun on him, but the brother was able to flee.
Police said the investigation remains active.
