A 23-year-old mother was shot and killed by her teenage brother during an argument over Christmas presents in Largo, Florida on Christmas Eve.

According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the incident began during a Christmas shopping trip when 14-year-old Damarcus Coley became upset that his older brother, 15-year-old Darcus Coley, was receiving more gifts than him. The disagreement escalated when the family returned home.

Outside their grandmother’s house, the argument continued, and the victim, identified as 23-year-old Abrielle Baldwin, attempted to intervene.

The County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri stated, “She was just a woman going about life with her two kids, trying to make a living and trying to make it.”

One of the brothers, Damarcus threatened to shoot his sister and the baby she was carrying in a carrier.

Tragically, he followed through on his threat, shooting and killing Abrielle Baldwin. The gunfire also caused the 11-month-old baby to fall to the ground.

Darcus then shot his younger brother Damarcus, who is currently in stable condition at the hospital.

Damarcus will be taken into custody on a first-degree murder charge once he is released from the hospital. Darcus has been arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder.

Gualtieri expressed frustration with the juvenile justice system, noting that both teens, especially Damarcus, have a history of violence but have not faced appropriate consequences.

He called for stronger laws to prevent teens from accessing firearms, citing a concerning proliferation of guns in the community.

The sheriff emphasized the need for increased vigilance regarding gun safety, stating, “This proliferation of guns on the streets and guns in this area and guns in the hands of these kids is the worst I’ve ever seen it. I don’t think we’ve ever seen it this bad.”