Florida boy, 11, charged with homicide after fatally shooting aunt

Cristóbal Reyes, Orlando Sentinel
·1 min read

ORLANDO, Fla. — An 11-year-old boy is charged with homicide after fatally shooting his aunt in their Ocoee home last week, according to the Ocoee Police Department.

The child was taken into custody by Ocoee police officers who responded to a house on Idaho Court on Friday morning where the boy was said to have shot the woman, an agency spokesperson said. The victim was taken to a hospital in Apopka where she died.

It’s not clear what led to the shooting or how the child, who lived with the victim, had access to a gun. The Sentinel submitted a request for the arrest affidavit and reports detailing the shooting, which the Police Department denied citing an active investigation. An agency spokesperson on Friday said there were no other suspects.

The Orange-Osceola State Attorney’s Office has not said if prosecutors intend to charge the boy as an adult. A spokesperson said they could not comment, as the case is currently in juvenile court.

The child appeared in court Saturday, where a woman claiming to be the victim’s daughter asked a judge to allow family to visit the him, which the judge granted, WFTV reported. That cousin, the TV station added, said the child had been living with the victim since he was 6 weeks old.

The Orlando Sentinel is not publishing the name of the victim to protect the identity of the child.

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