A Florida man was arrested after his two-year-old toddler fatally shot his mother with a loaded gun he found in his father’s “Paw Patrol” backpack. The deceased mother, identified as Shamaya Lynn, was on a work-related Zoom call at the time of the incident, The Associated Press reported.
Police arrested the toddler’s father Veondre Avery on Tuesday. Authorities said the August 11 incident occurred after the minor found the loaded firearm in his father’s backpack. The toddler then proceeded to shoot his mother in the head.
A co-worker who witnessed the incident while on the call with Lynn called 911, the Orlando Sentinel reported. She, however, did not know the deceased mother’s age or where she lived.
“I don’t know where to begin,” the co-worker told the dispatcher. “We’re on a live with a company. We just got hired. One of the girls passed out she was bleeding. She has the camera on. Her baby is crying in the back.”
The co-worker also said her manager was on the call at the time of the incident, adding that she was trying to get the deceased mother’s address. She also described what happened. “We heard a loud kabloom and then she leaned back and we just saw blood from her face,” she told the dispatcher. “She’s not answering or anything. We’re calling her name and she’s not talking or responding.”
Avery also called 911 and pleaded with responders to quickly come to the scene. “I literally just got home and I come in the room… (and) my girlfriend who was working on the computer, she’s just laid back and there’s blood everywhere,” Avery said, adding that Lynn wasn’t breathing and he couldn’t feel her heartbeat, The Associated Press reported.
The 22-year-old father has since been charged with negligent manslaughter and unsafe storage of a firearm.