Jeramine Lavanda Bass Charged With First-Degree Murder, First-Degree Attempted murder of Daughter and Son’ a Florida father, brutally shot his 5-year-old daughter dead and left her 8-year-old brother fighting for his life barely a few minutes after their mother had kissed them goodnight and tucked them into bed.
Jeramine Lavanda Bass Charged With First-Degree Murder, First-Degree Attempted murder of Daughter and Son
In Tampa, Florida, on August 29, Jermaine Lavanda Bass, 30, was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder, and aggravated child abuse after he claimed he had “accidentally” shot his children many times while they slept.
The young girl was later declared dead at the scene by the police. The violence has stunned the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the neighbourhood. According to reports, the mother walked to the second floor, where the kids were sleeping in bunk beds. According to Sheriff Chad Chronister, she kissed her kid, who was giggling in the top bed while feigning sleep. She also gave her eight-year-old son a kiss before hurriedly leaving the room to use the restroom.
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Suddenly, she heard many bullets being fired. While she initially assumed the noise was coming from outside, she soon learned it was coming from within the residence, located at the Armeture Gate Townhomes, a residential area. A neighbour who was frantically dialling 911 met the mother as she fled outside for protection. Their son was severely injured, and her husband hurried outside the home at almost the same time. Bass reportedly shouted, “Call for assistance, call for help, call for help.”
Florida father claims he ‘Accidentally’ shot daughter, 5, and son, 8
The father was seen in the family room clutching his eight-year-old son, claiming that it was “an accident” when the deputies first arrive on the scene, Chronister said. The father told the deputies, “I don’t know how the gun went off, I accidentally shot my son.” Emergency medical personnel removed the child from his father’s arms and started advanced life support care while frantically trying to save the young boy.
When the officers asked Bass if anyone else was in the house, he said, ”My daughter is upstairs sleeping,” according to the sheriff. “Deputies go upstairs only to find the gruesome discovery that there’s a five-year-old laying in the top bunk laying in a pool of her own blood,’ Chronister said. “She is shot two or three times in her head. The same injury that the eight-year-old had sustained and suffered from.”
They were both brought to Tampa General Hospital. The sheriff declared that the girl could not be saved. ”Our eight-year-old is fighting for his life,” Chronister said, briefly choking during a news conference. ”I hope this individual feels the full weight of the criminal justice system and never sees the light of day where can harm another human being,” the sheriff said. In the home, police discovered a.380 semiautomatic pistol. Bass just said that the gunshots were unintentional and made no other comments defending his actions.
“You don’t accidentally shoot your children three to four times in the head,” the surprised sherriff retorted, struggling with the idea that the reason for the shooting will probably never be known. “I don’t know why he did this. don’t know if we will ever know,” the sheriff said.
According to the authorities, the home had never received any prior domestic violence calls. Bass has never been in trouble before. Police have not yet received a full statement from the mother. ”To this mother who’s lost one child and could possible lose a second and whose marriage is obviously over, our heart goes out to you,” Chronister said. ”I certainly will pray for all of you today.”
The crime left sheriff’s officers and other first responders in a state of profound shock. ”This is a horrific experience no parent should have to go through,” the sheriff said. ”This is an experience no law enforcement or first responder should ever have to witness. We as a sheriff’s office are struggling today.”
