A tragic incident unfolded when a domestic dispute between a mother and her son took a devastating turn, resulting in the untimely death of the teenage boy. As a result, the mother now finds herself facing a murder charge.
The police officers in Wichita, Kansas, filed an arrest affidavit stating that the shooting incident took place at around 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 9. It occurred at the apartment of Tesha Florence (Jenkins), 46, and her 16-year-old son Robert Florence.
Authorities found him alive when they arrived at the scene and immediately rushed him to Wesley Medical Center in critical condition. Sadly, despite their efforts, he succumbed to his injuries two days later.
Upon the police’s arrival, Tesha was described as being in an emotionally distraught state. The affidavit stated that she fell to the ground and began rolling around in distress when the police attempted to handcuff her. In the midst of her anguish, she cried out, “I shot my baby!”
According to the arrest affidavit, which was recently made public and viewed by ABC affiliate KAKE, the details of that fateful morning unfolded. Tesha was engaged in an argument with Robert, as he expressed his reluctance to attend school. She allegedly informed the authorities that her son was a “troubled child,” involved in substance abuse, and frequently skipped school.
According to the police, she expressed her frustration about Robert’s refusal to go to school that morning. Additionally, his 18-year-old brother was also annoyed because they would be late due to Robert’s delays.
Tesha ultimately agreed to let Robert stay home, as specified in the legal documents. She took the initiative to call the school and inform them of his absence. According to the affidavit, she explained to the police that Robert persistently bothered her and even mentioned his intention to visit their downstairs neighbors to obtain some “weed.”
According to Tesha’s statement to the police, Robert persistently provoked his mother, engaging in destructive behavior like pulling down the curtains and tearing up paper, scattering the shredded pieces all over the floor.
According to Tesha, she confessed to the police that she became increasingly frustrated as her son continued to provoke her. The situation escalated dramatically when Robert allegedly attempted to grab her black backpack, which contained her 9mm handgun, and successfully retrieved it.
In the affidavit, it is stated that Robert did not make any threats or point the gun at her. Instead, she mentioned that she took the gun from his hands and directed it towards him. According to the affidavit, she even uttered the words, “Do you simply want to die?” to her son.
Tesha said that at that moment, the gun accidentally discharged, causing Robert to fall forward, according to the documents. She explained to the police that she believed the gun was unloaded. She mentioned that she had previously removed the rounds from the gun weeks ago, but later admitted that she might have put a couple back in two weeks ago due to having to walk home from work.
During their investigation into the shooting, the police discovered another incident involving Tesha and the handgun. They found that she had reportedly pointed the handgun at her ex-husband and his girlfriend during a visit to his house in March. As a result, she is now facing charges of aggravated burglary and aggravated assault in connection with that case.
The suspect is currently in custody at the Sedgwick County Jail, with a bond set at $1.2 million. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Monday, October 28th.
Robert’s older brother, Kurtis Florence, established a GoFundMe campaign to assist in covering the costs associated with the funeral. So far, the campaign has exceeded its initial goal of $30,000, raising over $22,000.
