Adeem Berry, 14, was arrested after a standoff for allegedly shooting his mother and her boyfriend, killing his mother.Photo:Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
A teenager faces murder charges after allegedly killing his mother and injuring her boyfriend in a shooting in Riverview, Fla., according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO).
The mother was Tiffany Harris, 39, the victim’s family confirms to PEOPLE.
On Saturday afternoon, police received “several 911 emergency calls” in the area of the shooting: One neighbor said a male had been shot multiple times, and another caller said a boy was running through the streets “waving a firearm,” HCSO Sheriff Chad Chronister said at apress conferenceon Saturday.
During a 16-minute standoff, Berry allegedly put the firearm to his head “at least six times” indicating thoughts of suicide, according to Chronister, but officers were able to talk him out of it.
At one point, they used a “less lethal tool” to subdue him as he was reaching towards the gun before placing him under arrest, Chronister said.
As the arrest takes place, Berry is seen wearing a red Mario t-shirt. He does not respond to the officer’s questions about who he allegedly shot.
He added that from the scene, it appeared the man allegedly “was trying to beg” Berry, and had “put his hands up in the air.” Both his hands had a “projectile that traveled through it and then ultimately struck him in the face.” The victim was in stable condition as of Monday, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.
A couple of residences away, authorities also discovered the body of Harris, who lay dead in the garage. Berry’s older brother alleged to police he saw the 14-year-old shoot their mother, according to Chronister.
The brother said he heard Harris in a fight with her boyfriend and then heard “several gunshots,” which prompted him to come out of the room he was in. He then witnessed the shooting, before Berry allegedly pointed the gun at him, prompting him to flee, said Chronister.
Harris’ mother Theresa Harris spoke to PEOPLE about Harris, saying, “She was a light. Everybody loved her.”
At a wake organized for Harris, many friends and loved ones shared their memories of her, Theresa said.
According to Theresa, people talked about “how [Harris] allowed them to live with them, how she fed them."
Theresa said her daughter didn’t “have much, but with what she had, she did a lot.”
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Theresa further said people should be held accountable for keeping firearms in a place that makes them accessible to children. (It is not clear how the gun used in Harris' death was obtained.)
“Little kids are getting a hold of guns. I know we can’t change these gun laws but everybody needs to be held responsible for not keeping them in safe places,” she told PEOPLE on Monday.
The HCSO did not provide any further information on the status of the investigation with PEOPLE.
source: people.com
