WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A just-released court document details the case the Wichita Police Department put together after investigating the shooting death of a teenager.
Police allege that Tesha Florence shot her 16-year-old son, Robert Florence, on Oct. 9 at an east Wichita apartment. He died two days later.
Detective S.M. McKenna wrote the probable cause affidavit that led to charges against the mother. He said a woman called 911 at 8:11 a.m. on Oct. 9 and reported she had shot her son in the forehead.
First responders went to the apartment and found 16-year-old Robert Florence had been shot in the head. He was rushed to the hospital.
Officers allegedly heard Tesha Florence say, “I shot my baby.” At least one officer said he heard her say it was accidental, that she pointed the gun but did not mean to shoot him. According to the officer, the mother said the teenager was supposed to go to school, but he didn’t want to, which irritated her.
Police say she was emotionally distraught, fell to the ground and rolled around in distress. She was put in handcuffs and placed in a patrol vehicle.
During a post-Miranda interview, Tesha Florence told detectives about Robert not wanting to go to school. She called Northwest High School and said Robert was going to stay home.
The mother allegedly told detectives that Robert proceeded to say and do things to antagonize her, like pulling down curtains and throwing bits of paper on the floor. Police say she described his actions as “pushing her buttons.”
Tesha Florence allegedly told officers that Robert got her Rugar 9mm handgun out of her backpack and was holding it, but made no threats and did not point it.
According to the affidavit, Tesha Florence grabbed the gun and made the statement, “Do you just want to die?” She allegedly told detectives the handgun “went off,” and her son fell to the floor, and that’s when she realized she had shot him.
Police say that Tesha Florence admitted she had full knowledge of how the handgun operated. They say she also revealed that when she took the gun from Robert, she “racked the slide back,” causing the handgun to chamber the next round from the magazine. She allegedly told officers she may have intended to shoot the gun to scare her son.
During the investigation, police say they learned that in March, Tesha Florence had allegedly forced her way into her ex-husband’s home and pointed a gun at his girlfriend.
Florence is charged with second-degree murder, aggravated burglary and aggravated assault. She remains in jail with a bond set at $1.2 million. The next court date in the case is Thursday.