17-year-old girl shot, killed in Orange County, deputies say
17-year-old girl shot, killed in Orange County
A 17-year-old girl was shot and killed Wednesday afternoon in Orange County, and investigators have not announced any arrests as the investigation continues.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - Update (July 31): The Orange County Sheriff's Office said it has arrested 19-year-old Jehovah Jeremiah Mitchell under suspicion of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence amid a shooting investigation into his 17-year-old girlfriend's death.
According to the arrest report, Mitchell said he and his girlfriend, Skyler Ley'Shea Bradford, were arguing over alleged infidelity when she pulled a gun out of her purse. The two fought over the gun when it fired. Mitchell alleged Bradford shot herself. After the shooting, Mitchell said he "wasn't thinking clearly" and took the gun from his girlfriend's hand and got rid of it in some woods behind the apartment building.
Credit: Orange County Sheriff's Office
Friends told detectives that Bradford did not own a gun, but suspected she may have taken her mother's firearm in 2023, and gave it to Mitchell.
Detectives charged Mitchell with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence because he knew a death investigation was underway, and "concealed the firearm used in the incident in the woodlice with the purpose to impair its availability in the investigation, the report said.
Original story
A 17-year-old girl was killed in a shooting Wednesday afternoon in Orange County, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
What we know:
Deputies responded around 4:55 p.m. to a house complex on Old Cheney Highway after receiving reports of a shooting.
When they arrived, they found the teenager with a gunshot wound. The girl was taken to a hospital, where she died from her injuries.
She was identified on Thursday as Skyler Ley'Shea Bradford.
The sheriff's office said everyone involved remained at the scene, and investigators do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the community.
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet released details on the circumstances of the shooting. It's also not known if anyone has been named a suspect or been arrested in connection to the teen's death.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Orange County Sheriff's Office.