A father in the Sunshine State is sitting in jail after an unthinkable eruption of violence that left his own children wounded and a community reeling in disbelief.
Authorities took Christopher Lee Brown, 36, into custody after he allegedly fired at his three sons during a heated argument.
And a Florida man shocked everyone when he shot his three sons over a car dispute.
The terrifying confrontation took place on Sunday morning, May 18, just after 11:00 a.m., when law enforcement officers hurried to Sunlit Coral Street in Ruskin following emergency calls about gunfire in the neighborhood.
Upon reaching the scene, deputies found three young boys suffering from bullet wounds.
Paramedics rushed all three to Tampa General Hospital, where doctors determined their injuries weren’t life-threatening.
What started as a verbal disagreement spiraled into a horrific encounter that neighbors managed to capture on home security footage.
Legal documents examined by Fox affiliate WTVT reveal that the situation turned violent when Brown struck one of his sons in the head with a handgun.
The impact reportedly caused the weapon to discharge, with the bullet grazing the child’s jawline and striking his ear.
In comments to Fox 13, Attorney Anthony Rickman explained: “His first child, he pistol-whips him. After pistol-whipping him, he takes out his gun and shoots him. Missing his body, but hitting him in the earlobe, striking his ear.”
As Brown tried to escape to his car, his other two sons apparently chased after him.
Investigators believe that’s when Brown turned his weapon on the boys and pulled the trigger multiple times, wounding both of them.
The terror continued beyond the physical attack.
Investigators discovered a chilling audio recording on one son’s phone that captured Brown making horrific threats in the aftermath.
“I tried to take your life,” Brown allegedly said in the recording. “You won’t make it to Wednesday.”
A resident who observed the confrontation described it as “a crazy situation” while speaking to Fox 13.
Several neighbors reportedly informed journalists that tensions between Brown and his sons had flared up previously.
The county’s top law enforcement official expressed his disgust at the situation.
“This was a senseless and alarming act of violence that could have had an even more devastating outcome,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “I’m grateful for the swift response of our deputies and the dedicated efforts of our detectives, who worked quickly to identify the suspect and ensure he was taken into custody without further incident.”
Prosecutors have filed numerous serious charges against Brown, including attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery, illegal firearm possession, discharging a weapon in public, burglary, resisting an officer, and criminal mischief with damages between $200 and $1,000.
Local news outlet WTVT reported that prosecutors have moved to keep Brown behind bars until his trial, filing paperwork to deny him the possibility of pre-trial release.
Legal papers filed with the court show Brown won’t be getting out on parole anytime soon.
The accused father showed up for his first day in court on May 22.
Cops say they’re still digging into all the details.
Family arguments happen all the time, but this case shows how fast things can turn violent.
These boys will carry the physical and mental scars of their father’s rampage for years to come.
