US: Two teenage brothers arrested after sister shot dead over Christmas presents in Florida

In what comes as a bizarre yet horrific incident, two teenage boys have been arrested in Florida after their sister was fatally shot during a row over Christmas gifts.

According to Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, the shooting followed an argument over who was getting more presents. 23-year-old Abrielle Baldwin was shot in the chest by the youngest sibling, Damarcus Coley, 14, while she had her 10-month-old son in a carrier.

Damarcus was then shot by the his older sibling, identified as Darcus Coley, 15, who pulled his semi-automatic gun and discharged it. Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said Darcus ran away from the scene, tossing his gun away before being arrested by the police.

“They had this family spat about who was getting what and what money was being spent on who and they’re having this big thing going on in the store and they’re all arguing with each other,” said Sheriff Bob Gualtieri.

“So you got the 14-year-old who’s mad at the 15-year-old because mom’s not buying equal amounts of gifts.”

As the argument escalated, the younger teenager threatened to shoot his brother in the head. However, things took a turn for the worse when they all returned to their grandmother's house in Largo, near Tampa.

Charges levelled on the teenage brothers

While Abrielle died soon after, Damarcus was taken to hospital where he is believed to be in a stable condition. The authorities have said the teenager will be taken into custody as soon as he is released.

The sheriff's office said the younger sibling will be charged with first-degree murder, child abuse, and being delinquent in possession of a firearm. Meanwhile, the older one has been charged with attempted first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence.

Notably, Abrielle suffered internal bleeding due to the gunshot and was unable to breathe. The baby in the carrier, however, was not harmed.

(With inputs from agencies)