On the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 9, the mother reportedly contacted 911 to inform them that she had shot her son, as stated by law enforcement.
Authorities discovered 16-year-old Robert Florence in the family’s Wichita, Kan., apartment, suffering from a single gunshot wound, according to statements from the Wichita Police Department.
Robert was taken to the hospital in “extremely critical condition,” where he unfortunately passed away from his injuries on Friday morning, Oct. 11, as stated in an updated release.
On the day of the incident, Tesha La Sha Florence, 46, was taken into custody at Sedgwick County Jail at 4:34 p.m. She faces two counts of aggravated assault and one count of aggravated battery, with a bond of $1,000,000.00 established for the battery charge.
After the tragic loss of her son, she faced new charges of second-degree murder.
“This is a tragic incident that has forever altered a family,” Chief Joe Sullivan said in a statement. “Gun violence affects our entire community and cannot be tolerated.”
Kurtis Florence, Robert’s older brother, reflects in a phone interview with PEOPLE that the teenager was “just somebody you could trust.”
“He kept it genuine at all times,” Kurtis, 20, says. “He was always able to point you to your truth. People lie a lot of times, but he could see through all that.”
Kurtis emphasizes that the junior from Wichita Northwest High School was “a force” in his community and “a very loving, caring young man.”
Kurtis revealed that the family had faced financial difficulties for several years, noting that their mother, along with Robert and another brother, had been residing at his Wichita apartment since the spring of 2022.
He shares that their mother, who once served as a certified nursing assistant and raised her four sons alone, faced financial difficulties in recent years and ultimately took a night shift at a factory earning $10 an hour.
The 20-year-old shares that he often juggles driving responsibilities, taking his girlfriend to work, his brothers to school, and his mother to the factory before heading to his own job, all with just one family car.
Due to the lengthy and costly journey to school, Robert frequently found himself arriving late.
The 16-year-old, who had previously played junior varsity basketball during his sophomore year, faced challenges with declining grades and attendance, ultimately resulting in not making the team as a junior.
On the day of the incident, Kurtis mentioned that Robert chose to remain at home from school due to a lack of clean clothes to wear.
Kurtis reports that upon returning home after dropping off his other brother, he was greeted by the wailing of sirens near his apartment.
During the inquiry into the shooting at the East Harry Street apartment, authorities reported that detectives discovered claims of Robert’s mother threatening her former spouse and his present partner with a firearm earlier this year.
Authorities indicate that the incident from March 2024, which Kurtis claims he was not directly aware of, has not been documented.
Dan Dillon from the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office reported that Tesha is scheduled to appear for the first time on Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 15 at 2:30 Central Time before Judge Shawn Elliott.
Reference: Police Say Kan. Mom Fatally Shot Teen Son, Who Was Remembered by Brother as ‘Caring Young Man’