Killed on Zoom: Dad held after toddler finds gun, shoots mom
ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – Police in central Florida have arrested the father of a toddler who found a loaded handgun in his “Paw Patrol” backpack and fatally shot his mother while she was on a Zoom call for work.
Veondre Avery, 22, was arrested Tuesday and charged with negligent manslaughter and unsafe storage of a firearm, Altamonte Springs police said.
Investigators said the 2-year-old found the gun in the backpack on Aug. 11 and fired a single shot that hit his mother, Shamaya Lynn, in the head.
A woman who also was on the Zoom call dialed 911, reporting that she heard a noise and saw Lynn fall. The co-worker didn’t know how old Lynn was or where she lived, but meanwhile Avery also called 911, begging responders to hurry as he tried to help Lynn.