Apopka Pop Warner shooting: Florida mom avoids jail after 11-year-old son allegedly grabbed her gun, shot 2

Mom of boy involved in Pop Warner shooting pleads no contest

The mother of an 11-year-old boy who allegedly shot two other children during a youth football practice has pleaded no contest to a charge of culpable negligence.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida mom pleaded no contest Friday to culpable negligence after she left a loaded gun in an unsecured box in her car, which her 11-year-old son grabbed and allegedly fired, shooting two children at a football practice.

What we know:

In Apopka, Florida, the mother of an 11-year-old boy who allegedly shot two other children at a youth football practice has pleaded no contest to culpable negligence. 

The shooting happened on October 2, 2023, at the Northwest Recreation Complex in Apopka, where Pop Warner football practice was happening. Police said the shooting stemmed from an argument over a bag of chips.

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Police said the boy accessed a firearm stored in a deteriorated box inside his mother’s car. The victims sustained serious injuries, including one child who lost a major organ and now lives with permanent disfigurement.

Judge delivers sentence

At the hearing, the prosecution read a statement from one of the victims who was shot. The victim's family wrote in a letter – delivered by a prosecutor – that the shooting had not only impacted the boy, but his family greatly.

The judge withheld adjudication for Sharelle Johnson, 35, accepted the plea deal and delivered the following sentence:

• No jail time
• 1 year of community control
• 2 years supervised probation
• Sharelle write a letter of apology
• Complete a parenting class
• 100 hours community service
• Pay for court fees and cost of prosecution

Sharelle Johnson (Credit: Orange County jail)

What happened?

The backstory:

Video shows Apopka Pop Warner shooting

An 11-year-old boy in Florida has been arrested after allegedly shooting two of his Pop Warner football teammates Monday evening after practice at a sports complex in Apopka, police said, allegedly stemming from a fight over a bag of chips.

On Oct. 2, 2023, during football practice near the Northwest Recreation Complex, officials said Johnson’s son retrieved a loaded gun from an "unsecured cardboard box" left inside her car. The box was described as worn and tattered, with no safety locks or fasteners, making the firearm easily accessible.

Video footage from the incident — which reportedly began with a fight over a bag of chips — appears to show the boy running to the car, grabbing the gun, and firing shots. FOX 35 is withholding the boy's name due to his age.

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The boy was arrested on a charge of attempted second-degree murder and held in secure juvenile detention for 21 days. In January 2024, a judge ruled that he was incompetent to stand trial.

What we don't know:

Authorities have not disclosed whether the mother legally owned the firearm or how long it had been stored in the vehicle. The current mental and emotional status of the accused boy has not been detailed.