10-Year-Old Girl Kills Woman: “She Shouldn’t Have Hit My Momma”

A 10-year-old Florida girl was arrested Tuesday after fatally shooting a woman who was arguing with her mother, according to the Orlando Police Department.

The girl is currently in the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families, according to police.

State Attorney for Orange and Osceola Counties Monique H. Worrell said her office is reviewing the case and will “consider all of the facts, including the age of the child, and all of the surrounding circumstances when making a charging decision.”

“We want to be clear in stating that no charging decision has been made by our office,” the state attorney said in a statement, adding the incident was “one of the most tragic cases I have seen in my 22-year career.”

The child’s mother is currently in custody as well, according to Orlando police.

Witnesses, including the mother’s boyfriend, told police that on the night of the shooting the girl’s mother and the victim, Lashun Denise Rodgers, 41, began arguing outside an apartment complex.

Witnesses said the girl was with her mother at the time of the argument.

The child was present when the mother struck Rodgers, who struck her back, according to the arrest report.

The boyfriend told officers he tried to break up the fight, but the victim was attempting to “re-engage” with the mother. After that, he said he saw the child holding a black firearm before firing “one to two shots” at Rodgers. The girl then shouted “she shouldn’t have hit my momma,” the boyfriend told the police.

Rodgers was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center where she was pronounced dead, according to police spokesperson Heidi Rodriguez.

The girl’s mother was arrested and the child was placed in the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families, according to police.

Authorities said the investigation is ongoing.