FL - Mother shoots daughter, mistaking her for intruder

[jjenny]

I have been reading on gunshot wounds. Not all gunshot wounds bleed externally. If not shot at real close range there could of been (from the pictures i saw) a small round hole. The damage from a bullet is internal. Depending on the shot and bullet there may or may not of been an exit would.
As far as the stepfather not being woke up by the bullet, I think it is possible that it did wake him up he didn't register what woke him. I know once when the space shuttle landed I woke up startled then heard a boom I thought my garage had exploded. I do think it was the first boom that woke me startled, (but it did not register) and then I heard the second boom.

So he never asked his wife what happened before calling 911? She was coherent, she is heard answering questions on 911 call.

 

[RANCH]

She had a red dot on her chest so blood was oozing out.

I guess it was a circular oose the size of a dot.

 

[ohreally]

So he never asked his wife what happened before calling 911? She was coherent, she is heard answering questions on 911 call.

I don't know if he asked his wife or not. That information has not been released. What I expressed was my experience with a loud boom going off and waking me and me not relating that it was the noise that woke me. I think the same could of happened to him.

 

[jjenny]

Okay so the stepdad didn't see, hear or smell the gunshot when he was in the same room. Got it :thinking:

Didn't see the gun either, I guess.

 

[ohreally]

I always assumed that some blood would ooze out of a bullet entrance wound. If I make a hole much smaller than .380 caliber in myself it sure does.

Sorry, I didn't word that very well, yes from the pictures I saw there would be blood seen. There wouldn't necessarily be pools of blood all over the place, as most of the bleeding can be internal. What I was referring to when I mentioned the small round whole was the comparison of being shot at close range where there would be stippling and such compared to a distance.

 

[MsFacetious]

I always assumed that some blood would ooze out of a bullet entrance wound. If I make a hole much smaller than .380 caliber in myself it sure does.

But you are still living so blood is pumping. Does blood ooze out if you are killed instantly by the gunshot?

 

[RANCH]

But you are still living so blood is pumping. Does blood ooze out if you are killed instantly by the gunshot?

I figure if a dead body has a hole in it a little bit of blood has to ooze out of said hole.

 

[cluciano63]

Did mom know daughter was visiting or could she have forgotten? Just sounds very strange for two LE-trained adults, this whole business. Jmo

I live alone and was napping one evening and heard my front door open and someone enter. Turned out to be the elderly father of my neighbor, who was visiting, and got the wrong apartment, and for some reason my door was not locked, probably because I go in and out so much with my dog. Needless to say he lived to tell...not a gun person. But I can't imagine just firing away, in any case, just not in me. Jmo

 

[LolaMoon08]

This is really sad. I don't think she intentionally killed her daughter (I could always be wrong... I have read worse here on websleuths).

While I have questions... I will just pray that my initial reaction is correct and that mom and stepdad can... this is so hard... I hope they can, at least, understand that accidents happen. And... I really don't even have words to say. I would be devastated and I am sure they are. Prayers for them. That is all I can offer.

 

[LaborDayRN]

This is really sad. I don't think she intentionally killed her daughter (I could always be wrong... I have read worse here on websleuths).

While I have questions... I will just pray that my initial reaction is correct and that mom and stepdad can... this is so hard... I hope they can, at least, understand that accidents happen. And... I really don't even have words to say. I would be devastated and I am sure they are. Prayers for them. That is all I can offer.

Lolamoon, I feel the same. I can't even begin to imagine how I would feel if I were this mom. My life would be over.

 

[al66pine]

http://www.wesh.com/news/sheriffs-o...lly-shoots-kills-daughter-police-say/37218126
Here it says the death is ruled a homicide. But that's normal right? Now the determine if it's accidental or intentional. Or in my opinion Neligent.

Not exactly. This may be helpful re 'homicide' and 'accident' definitions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autopsy#Forensic_autopsy

"Forensic autopsy
A forensic autopsy is used to determine the cause and manner of death. Forensic science involves the application of the sciences to answer questions of interest to the legal system. In United States law, deaths are classified under one of five manners:

• Natural
• Accident
• Homicide
• Suicide
• Undetermined"

Pls read ^ links.
M2cts.

 

[jjenny]

Well, this certainly wasn't an "accident." Daughter was killed by another person, which is homicide. I don't understand how it could be called an "accidental" shooting either. She intended to shoot the "intruder" so I fail to see how it could be called an "accidental" shooting. Accidental would be if the gun went off without person intending to shoot it , but that is not what happened here.

 

[jjenny]

Did mom know daughter was visiting or could she have forgotten? Just sounds very strange for two LE-trained adults, this whole business. Jmo

I live alone and was napping one evening and heard my front door open and someone enter. Turned out to be the elderly father of my neighbor, who was visiting, and got the wrong apartment, and for some reason my door was not locked, probably because I go in and out so much with my dog. Needless to say he lived to tell...not a gun person. But I can't imagine just firing away, in any case, just not in me. Jmo

From the latest reporting, I believe daughter actually lives in the same home. She was away visiting family members and came back, but she lives in the home with them. So did the daughter tell mother she was coming back? They are reportedly very close.

 

[jjenny]

But you are still living so blood is pumping. Does blood ooze out if you are killed instantly by the gunshot?

Daughter wasn't killed instantly by the gunshot. She was still breathing (according to 911 call). She died in the hospital.

 

[Sonya610]

I figure if a dead body has a hole in it a little bit of blood has to ooze out of said hole.

If the heart stopped instantly then maybe not, gravity would pull the blood down not push it up but even CPR on dead people causes the wounds to bleed. Perhaps the bullet entered taunt scar tissue that stretched tighter over the wound.

Plus there may not be an exit wound depending on the woman's size, most self defense ammo (hollowpoint) stops after 12" or less of body mass.

As others have stated I think the mother believed she missed and caused a heart attack when they didn't see any blood. That makes sense since the odds of a one shot knockdown in the dark with a .38 during a panic are really really slim, most of the time it would take several good shots and that often doesn't take the target down right away.

The news always covers the fluke "one shot kills" which gives the impression that is normal when in fact it is extremely rare especially when shooting an attacker.

 

[LolaMoon08]

Well, this certainly wasn't an "accident." Daughter was killed by another person, which is homicide. I don't understand how it could be called an "accidental" shooting either. She intended to shoot the "intruder" so I fail to see how it could be called an "accidental" shooting. Accidental would be if the gun went off without person intending to shoot it , but that is not what happened here.

While I do agree that it isn't "legally" an accident, I am trying really hard to show some form of empathy for this mother. She just killed her daughter and I really do not want to believe her intentions were to kill her child. I have admitted that I have seen worse. We all have. As a long member here, Lord knows I have seen/read it all.

We have seen NUMEROUS cases just like this... right here.

I need more information. Family dynamics? History? Drugs?

 

[jjenny]

While I do agree that it isn't "legally" an accident, I am trying really hard to show some form of empathy for this mother. She just killed her daughter and I really do not want to believe her intentions were to kill her child. I have admitted that I have seen worse. We all have. As a long member here, Lord knows I have seen/read it all.

We have seen NUMEROUS cases just like this... right here.

I need more information. Family dynamics? History? Drugs?

Presumably she intended to kill whoever it was in her home (whom she apparently believed to be an intruder), so police shouldn't be calling it an "accidental" shooting. Since it happened in FL, I see charges as very unlikely. However I still have many questions about the case.
Daughter came home late at night -did she not tell mother she was coming back home?
Was the daughter shot in the master bedroom or outside?
Why did the mother shoot at someone without knowing who that was? Why didn't she ask who it was before shooting?
Why didn't mother wake up her husband (a cop) before shooting, if she believed intruder was in the home? Vast majority of women would wake up their husband if they believed an intruder was in the home (especially if that husband is a cop). At least we are let to believe the husband slept through the whole thing and didn't realize daughter was shot.
Why didn't mother tell dispatcher daughter was shot?

 

[Tillicum]

We don't know if her intent was to kill IMO.

 

[Sonya610]

Why didn't mother tell dispatcher daughter was shot?

Someone up thread posted that even the first responder saw the "red dot" and didn't realize it was a bullet wound. If that is true then it makes sense that the mother and husband believed the bullet missed.

We don't know if her intent was to kill IMO.

Only idiots shoot without intending to kill. Shooting with the intent to cause "less than lethal injury" results in assault charges, if you are in fear for your life you don't try for minor wounds.

 

[jjenny]

Someone up thread posted that even the first responder saw the "red dot" and didn't realize it was a bullet wound. If that is true then it makes sense that the mother and husband believed the bullet missed.



Only idiots shoot without intending to kill. Shooting with the intent to cause "injury" results in assault charges, if you are in fear for your life you don't try for minor wounds.

First responder wasn't told anything about shot being fired. First responder showed up at the scene being told it's someone with heart issues. He wouldn't be expecting to see a gunshot wound. Whereas mother knew she fired a gun. And step-father was right there in the bedroom so how did he not know? He claims he was sleeping but I still find it hard to believe he didn't know.