A 10-year-old girl was arrested Tuesday after she fatally shot a woman who was arguing with her mother, according to the Orlando Police Department.

The minor was taken into the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families, according to police.

In a statement following the shooting, Orange and Osceola County State’s Attorney Monique H. Worrell said her office has begun reviewing the case and “will consider all the facts, including the age of the minor and all surrounding circumstances, when making a decision on charges.

“We want to be clear that no charging decision has been made by our office,” the state attorney’s statement said. And he added that the incident was “one of the most tragic cases I have seen in my 22-year career.”

The girl’s mother is also in custody, according to Orlando police.

The girl’s mother and the victim had an altercation

Witnesses told police the shooting occurred on the night of May 30, when the girl’s mother and the victim, 41-year-old Lashun Denise Rodgers, began arguing outside an apartment complex, according to an arrest report. .

The girl was with her mother at the time of the argument, according to the arrest report, which cited witnesses.

The mother allegedly started a physical altercation by hitting Rodgers, who responded by hitting her back, the arrest report says, citing Rodgers’ boyfriend as one of the witnesses.

The minor fired “one or two shots,” a witness said.

The boyfriend told authorities he tried to break up the fight, but the victim tried to “re-engage” with the mother, according to the report. He then allegedly saw the minor holding a black firearm before firing “one or two shots” at Rodgers, an arrest report shows. The girl then allegedly yelled “she shouldn’t have hit my mom,” the boyfriend told police.

Rodgers was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center where she later died, according to police spokeswoman Heidi Rodriguez.

The girl’s mother was taken into custody and the girl was placed in the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families, police said.

Citizen Free Press reached out to the attorney for the girl’s mother, but did not receive a response. Citizen Free Press has not been able to obtain information from the attorney for the minor involved.

Police said the investigation is ongoing.

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