WHITE SPRINGS, Fla. — A 15-year-old girl who killed her 16-year-old brother suffered years of physical abuse, including being locked in a room for days with a blanket and a bucket to urinate in, and was sexually abused by her uncle, according to police reports and interviews.
The father, a truck driver, and his wife were away for work and left the 16-year-old boy to watch over the 15-year-old, her 11-year-old sister and their 3-year-old sister, police said.
On Sunday, the 15-year-old girl broke into her parents’ locked bedroom and got a handgun as her 11-year-old sister kept watch, police said. The eldest sister shot her brother and fled with the 11-year-old, leaving the 3-year-old behind, police said.
The girls are in juvenile detention and a prosecutor is trying to decide whether they will be charged as adults. Their parents face charges of child neglect. The 3-year-old is in the custody of child welfare officials.
