Sixteen-year-old Robert Florence was found lying on the living room floor with a gunshot wound after his mother called 911 and told dispatchers she had shot her son. Paramedics rushed to the home and transported Robert to the hospital in critical condition. For two days, he fought to survive. Despite doctors’ efforts, he died from his injuries.
His older brother, Kurtis, says Robert was the kind of person others naturally trusted — honest, soft-spoken, and deeply caring. Friends felt safe around him. Teachers respected him. He was the steady presence in a household that had weathered its share of hardship.
Life at home had not been easy. The family struggled financially, sharing one car while juggling long work hours. Bills piled up. Stress lingered. According to Kurtis, that morning Robert had stayed home from school. Within moments, something went terribly wrong.
Police arrested their mother, Tesha Florence, at the scene. She initially faced assault charges. After Robert succumbed to his injuries, prosecutors upgraded the charge to second-degree murder. Authorities have not publicly detailed what led to the gun discharging, but the case has moved forward through the courts.
Kurtis believes the shooting was accidental and says his mother immediately called for help in panic and desperation. Now, in the aftermath, he finds himself grieving a brother while navigating a fractured family and the loss of his home.
Displaced and heartbroken, Kurtis is working to raise funds for Robert’s burial, determined to honor the gentle teenager he says never deserved such an ending. As the legal process unfolds, one thing is certain: a family is left carrying both grief and unanswered questions, trying to hold together what remains after a single moment changed everything.