A mother in Wichita, Kansas, is now in custody, facing serious charges after what she says was an attempt to “scare” her 16-year-old son with a gun went terribly wrong. Tesha Florence, who also goes by Tesha Jenkins, was charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, and aggravated burglary, according to the Sedgwick County Jail records.

Police were called to Jenkins’ apartment on East Harry Street on the morning of October 9, finding her son, Robert Florence, lying face down with a gunshot wound to his head. Robert fought for his life but sadly died two days later, on October 11.

Reports reveal that Jenkins was “emotionally distraught” at the scene, telling officers, “I shot my baby,” and insisting the shooting was an accident. According to court documents, she claimed she pointed the gun but never meant to pull the trigger.

Jenkins reportedly described her son as a “bad kid” involved with drugs and skipping school. She said that on the morning of the incident, he should’ve been at school but instead stayed home, bothering her and asking to use her phone. At some point, he apparently retrieved a Ruger Security 9mm from his backpack. Jenkins then allegedly grabbed the gun from him, pointed it at him, and asked, “Do you just want to die?” – and that’s when the gun went off.

During her interview with police, Jenkins said she thought the gun was unloaded but admitted she may have loaded it weeks earlier. She insists she only wanted to scare him and had no intention of pulling the trigger.

To add to the story, there’s another troubling detail: earlier this year, Jenkins reportedly broke into her ex-husband’s home and allegedly pointed a gun at him and his girlfriend. This earlier incident came up during the investigation and has led to additional charges against her for aggravated assault and burglary.

One of Jenkins’ other sons has publicly defended her, saying he truly believes the shooting was a tragic accident and that his mom isn’t the type of person to “go off the rails.”

Right now, Jenkins is being held on a $1.2 million bond, while a GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help cover the funeral and memorial expenses for Robert.

This is a heart-wrenching story that shows just how badly things can go when firearms are involved, especially in moments of anger or frustration. It’s a reminder of why handling guns responsibly is so critical and why even in tense situations, safety has to come first.