An Altamonte Springs, Florida, dad has been arrested in connection to his toddler fatally shooting his mom while she was on a Zoom call for work on Aug. 11, ABC News reports.
The 2-year-old found a loaded handgun inside of his Paw Patrol bookbag and shot his mom, Shamaya Lynn, in the head with a single bullet, police said. According to officials, the child found the bookbag on the floor of his parents' bedroom.
Veondre Avery, who had just arrived at the house shortly after the shooting and called 911, pleaded with first responders to hurry.
“I literally just got home and I come in the room… (and) my girlfriend who was working on the computer, she’s just laid back and there’s blood everywhere,” Avery said on the 911 call just before performing chest compressions, The Washington Post reports.
The frantic father, 22, told operators his girlfriend wasn't breathing and he couldn't feel her heartbeat. Officials say she was pronounced dead at the scene.
A woman on the Zoom call with the 21-year-old also called 911, unsure of her age or her location, and reported that she heard a noise and saw her fall.
“I don’t know where to begin,” a female co-worker said in a 911 call later released by police. “One of the girls passed out. … She has the camera on. Her baby is crying in the back.”
“We heard a loud kabloom and then she leaned back and we just saw blood from her face,” the co-worker added.
Lynn was an employee for New Balance and was working in the company's call center department.
Another child was inside of the home at the time of the shooting. Neither of the children were injured during the shooting, and are now with relatives.
Avery is in custody without bond and has been charged with manslaughter and failure to securely store a firearm, CNN reports. The manslaughter charge is a second-degree felony in Florida and is punishable by up to 15 years in prison with a $10,000 fine.
“Your decisions have consequences, and this was just a decision that was a very poor one,” Altamonte Springs officer Roberto Ruiz Jr. said in a news conference. “You have a responsibility as a gun owner to take care of those firearms.”
He's expected to appear in court, again, on Nov. 23.
The state's attorney's office said "clearly established" evidence confirmed the child acted independently when they fired the weapon.
The mother of two is being remembered as “a thoughtful aunt, sister, daughter, granddaughter, and a loyal friend.”
“Shamaya made many sacrifices because she wanted her children to have the best life,” her obituary reads. “Shamaya’s life was cut short, but we are grateful for the 21 years we had and all the memories we made.”