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PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – Two teens were arrested after an argument on Christmas Eve ended with their sister being murdered, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
In a release, deputies said they responded to a shooting at 2357 22nd Ave. SW in Largo, where they found siblings Abrielle Baldwin, 23, and Damarcus Coley, 14, suffering gunshot wounds.
Both were taken to the hospital, though Baldwin ultimately died from her injuries, deputies added. However, Coley remains in stable condition.
Detectives explained they discovered that Coley, Baldwin, and their 15-year-old brother — Darcus Coley — went shopping for Christmas that evening with their mother and Baldwin’s two sons, a 6-year-old and an 11-month-old.
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Afterward, they went to their grandmother’s home, which is where Damarcus Coley, Darcus Coley and Baldwin got into an argument over Christmas gifts, the release shows.
“Darcus was jealous that their mother Joyce was getting 14-year-old Damarcus more gifts than he was receiving,” Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said. “So they had this family spat about who was getting what, and what money was being spent on who, and having this big thing going on.”
Damarcus reportedly threatened to shoot Darcus Coley, but their uncle managed to remove him from the home, Gualtieri explained.
Baldwin reportedly told Damarcus Coley to stop arguing because it was Christmas time, though he responded by threatening to shoot her and her 11-month-old son, whom she was carrying, detectives said.
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“Damarcus then began arguing with Abrielle and used some very derogatory language — I won’t repeat it all — and all kinds of profanity,” Gualtieri said. “He was calling her a whore and all kinds of other stuff, and stated that he was going to shoot her and that he was ‘going to shoot the baby, too.’”
According to the sheriff’s office, Damarcus shot Baldwin while she was holding her son in a baby carrier, and Darcus Coley then came out and shot Damarcus in return.
Darcus Coley fled the scene, throwing his gun into a nearby yard and contacting his mother, deputies said. He was later taken to a mental health facility due to “self-harm statements” and is expected to be transferred to the Pinellas Juvenile Assessment Center after he’s released, the release states.
During a news conference on Tuesday, Gualtieri said that “juvenile delinquents” are getting their hands on firearms either by purchasing stolen guns on the street or through car burglaries.
“Both Damarcus and Darcus carried guns all the time. They routinely carried firearms on them,” he said. “People knew it. That’s what they did.”
Damarcus Coley faces charges of first-degree murder, child abuse and delinquent in possession of a firearm. According to Gualtieri, the state attorney’s office will determine whether to charge him as a minor or an adult.
Meanwhile, Darcus Coley faces charges of attempted first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence.
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