Girl, 5, found dead in 'pool of blood' as her brother, 8, fights for life after father 'shot them'
A five-year-old girl was killed and her eight-year-old brother is fighting for his life after the siblings' father shot them both in the head shortly after their mother kissed them goodnight.
Jermaine Lavanda Bass, 30, was arrested and charged with first degree murder, first degree attempted murder and aggravated child abuse, on August 29 after he claimed he 'accidentally' shot his children multiple times as they lay in bed in Tampa, Florida.
The violence has shocked Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department and the local community after the little girl was pronounced dead following the shooting.
On Monday night, just after 10 p.m., the children's mother left a restaurant where she was eating, to tuck her children into bed and go to sleep herself.
Jermaine Lavanda Bass, 30, fatally shot his 5-year-old daughter and grievously wounded his 8-year-old son
She went up stairs two where the children were in their bunkbeds. She kissed her daughter, who giggled in the top bunk because she was pretending to be asleep, Sheriff Chad Chronister said.
She kissed her eight-year-old son and then rushed out of the room to go to the bathroom.
Suddenly, she heard multiple shots fired. Initially, she thought it was outside, but when she realized it was coming from inside the house at the Armeture Gate Townhomes.
The mother rushed outside for safety where she was met by a neighbor, who was already frantically calling 911.
At nearly the same moment, her husband rushed outside the house with their grievously wounded son in his arms.
'Call for help, call for help, call for help,' Bass said, according to the sheriff.
Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputies who rushed to the scene found Bass cradling his wounded son in the family room. He told them that the shooting was an accident
Bass never mentioned the fact that he also shot his daughter multiple times in the head. Cops found her in her upstairs bedroom laying in a pool of her own blood
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister choked up as he described the baffling violence of a father killing his 5-year-old daughter and wounding his 8-year-old son
'When our deputies initially arrive on scene, they see the father in the family room cradling the eight-year-old son saying it was an accident,' Chronister said. The father told the deputies, 'I don't know how the gun went off, I accidentally shot my son.'
Emergency medical technicians take the child away from the dad and begin advanced life support, working furiously to save the child.
When the officers ask Bass if anyone else is in the house he says, 'My daughter is upstairs sleeping,' according to the sheriff.
'Deputies go upstairs only to fine 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.'
Both children were taken to Tampa General Hospital. The girl could not be saved, the sheriff said.
'Our eight-year-old is fighting for his life,' Chronister said, choking up momentarily during a press 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. Cops found a .380 semiautomatic handgun in he house.
RELATED ARTICLES
- Jared Kushner appears sprightly in first interview since... Nikolas Cruz's jailhouse calls reveal he LAUGHED about...
- White House war on MAGA Republicans: Karine Jean-Pierre...
Share this article
ShareOther than his statements saying the shooting was accidental, Bass gave not further statement explaining his action.
'You don't accidentally shoot your children three to four times in the head,' the baffled sheriff said.
He seem to grapple with the possibility that the motive behind the shooting would remain a mystery.
'I don't know why he did this,' the sheriff said. 'I don't know if we will ever know.'
There were no previous domestic violence calls to the house, police said. Bass has no prior criminal history.
The mother has not made a complete statement to police yet.
'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.'
Sheriff's deputies and other first responders where shaken to the core by the crime.
'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.'
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pa3IpbCmmZmhe6S7ja6iaKaVrMBwrdGtoJyklWJ%2Bcn2VcG5ta198trO4jG5knZ2RmXqxu86lZJukn6Sxbq7RqKuhnaJihW6yyKCfratdobansYyfmK2glad6tLTOrWStoJWie6nAzKU%3D