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A tragic incident in Wyoming has led to a teenager being charged with the shooting death of his mother, following an argument reportedly sparked by a stolen tablet. The accused, a 14-year-old, now faces serious legal consequences related to the death of 41-year-old Theresa McIntosh.
According to Brandon Warner, a spokesperson for the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to an emergency call from the family’s Cheyenne residence on March 7, around 12:47 p.m. They were informed of a woman with a gunshot wound to the back of the head. Upon arrival, deputies discovered McIntosh unconscious but still breathing, prompting immediate medical intervention.
McIntosh was initially taken to the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center for urgent care and subsequently transported by air to UC Health in Fort Collins, Colorado. Despite the efforts of medical professionals, she succumbed to her injuries, as confirmed by the authorities.
During the investigation, a juvenile was found at the scene and subsequently detained. Warner later confirmed to Oxygen that the young suspect in custody is indeed McIntosh’s son. The case sheds light on the devastating consequences of domestic disputes and the severe impact they can have on families and communities.
The sheriff’s office noted that a juvenile found at the scene was taken into custody with Warner later confirming to Oxygen that the suspect is her son.
The teen has been charged as an adult with first-degree murder, per The Cowboy State Daily.
Teen Allegedly Told Investigators He “Hated” His Mom
Although the 14-year-old initially claimed that McIntosh had died by suicide, according to a criminal complaint obtained by the news outlet, he later talked to investigators about allegedly pulling the trigger himself.
“He was angry right before he shot McIntosh and couldn’t tell her how much he hated her because she doesn’t understand him,” Deputy Miles DePrimo wrote in the complaint. “He was mad McIntosh was calling him names.”
According to DePrimo, the teen had thought about killing his mom in the past, “specifically when she would make him do things he didn’t want to do.”
Theresa McIntosh Was Killed After Fight About Tablet, Authorities Say
The deadly shooting took place, per the complaint, after McIntosh and her partner—who is also the teen’s biological father—confronted him about an electronic tablet he’d allegedly stolen from one of McIntosh’s cleaning clients.
After the fight, the boy’s father went downstairs to play video games while his mother was working on a puzzle on the floor in her room. She asked the teen to bring her the password for the allegedly stolen device, which he told her was written in a notebook in his closet, per the complaint.
While getting the notebook, authorities said he also retrieved a black Taurus 9mm handgun that he’d allegedly stolen from his mother, who usually kept the weapon in her car.
“He had stolen the gun out of McIntosh’s vehicle’s glovebox compartment approximately one week prior, but wasn’t sure exactly when he took it,” the affidavit said, per The Cowboy State Daily. “[The suspect] stole the firearm from McIntosh after a ‘big fight’ which began after [the suspect] had received a ‘D’ in math.”
When he returned to the room where McIntosh was working on the puzzle, authorities said he threw the notebook down and then allegedly shot her in the back of the head as she bent down to retrieve the tossed item.
Teen’s Father Tried to Provide Aid to Theresa McIntosh
His father told authorities, per the complaint, that he heard a “pop” while playing video games with his noise canceling headphones. Although he initially believed the noise was a balloon, he went upstairs to check and found his “panicked” son in the hallway, according to the court records.
The father allegedly told investigators that his son told him that he didn’t know what happened and the gun “just went off.”
He rushed to McIntosh’s side and tried to give her aid as he called 911.
“[She] was unresponsive with blood and ‘brains’ all over the place,” he allegedly told investigators, per the complaint, adding that he “applied pressure to McIntosh’s head where the injury was using a towel.”
He later told investigators he didn’t want to think that his son could have had anything to do with the crime “because it’s a really f–ked up thing for a parent to think” but also had to consider the possibility.
“I understand, but I don’t want to f–king say it,” he said, per the affidavit. “Yes, I understand that it’s a possibility, but I really hope it’s not. It’d be a lot easier to accept that she killed herself than my son tried to kill her.”
It’s unclear whether the teen has retained an attorney. Oxygen reached out to the Cheyenne Public Defender’s Office, who declined to confirm whether or not he was a client or comment on the case.