In a tragic incident that has shocked the community, a young mother from Florida is now facing a homicide charge following the drowning of her infant daughter in a bathtub. The Gainesville Police Department responded to a distressing call on Wednesday, which led to the arrest of 23-year-old Tierra Scott-Franklin.

The events unfolded when Scott-Franklin called 911 to report the drowning of her 7-month-old daughter at their residence in Sweetwater Square Apartments, Gainesville. Upon arrival, first responders discovered the infant unresponsive in the bathtub, as detailed in a post shared by the Gainesville Police Department on Facebook.

Emergency medical services arrived promptly at the scene at approximately 12:47 p.m., according to an arrest report accessed by Law&Crime. Despite immediate lifesaving efforts, including transport to the hospital, the baby girl was sadly pronounced dead upon arrival.

Following the incident, police conducted an interview with Scott-Franklin at the station. During the interview, after being informed of her rights, she reportedly admitted to the authorities that she had filled the bathtub with water halfway and placed her daughter in it, face-up. She then left the room, closing the door behind her, with the intention of the baby not surviving.

Approximately five minutes later, Scott-Franklin returned to the bathroom and removed her daughter from the water. She observed a “white substance” emanating from the infant’s nose and mouth. Scott-Franklin claimed she attempted to perform chest compressions but halted when fluid began emerging from the child’s mouth.

According to the report, Scott-Franklin told police, “If I can’t have my baby, no one can,” and “I’m sorry, but I don’t regret it.” The Alachua Chronicle reported that Scott-Franklin was on five years of probation after pleading no contest to a battery charge against a 67-year-old victim in 2025. She told police that she was facing “other legal penalties” and was afraid of losing custody of her baby. Scott-Franklin said she suffered from several mental illnesses and claimed to hear voices.

Scott-Franklin allegedly admitted to searching “suffocation” online.

Scott-Franklin was charged with first-degree premeditated homicide and booked into the Alachua County Jail. She was scheduled for a bond hearing on Thursday.