'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Last week, Orlando Police Department in Florida announced that 15-year-old Samuel Stevens has been charged with shooting and killing Desert Storm veteran Angela Sutton Washington. Stevens was arrested four months after the incident took place on February 7, 2023, when Angela, 61, went to a convenience store in the North Lane Plaza strip mall in Orlando, Florida. Authorities discovered her lying on the sidewalk and attempted to save her life, but she succumbed to her injuries.
The victim regularly visited the Florida strip mall, often stopping by the convenience store on her way home. Samuel Stevens now faces a charge of first-degree murder which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.
Florida grandmother was mistakenly shot at the North Lane Plaza mall during a confrontation between a group of teens
On February 7, Angela was struck by a stray bullet while shopping at the North Lane Plaza strip mall in Orlando, Florida. As per the New York Post, the surveillance video revealed a confrontation between a group of teens and young men at the Florida mall, during which one individual brandished a firearm and fired the shot that tragically hit Angela. Shortly after the incident, a dark Mazda 3 was seen fleeing from the mall's parking lot.
In March, officers stated their belief that Angela was not the intended target of the shooting. They indicated that multiple individuals were present in the Florida shopping plaza at the time of the shooting and urged them to come forward with any information.
A surveillance video from the area revealed a small crowd in front of the Florida store, consisting of seven to nine males who were likely the intended targets.
Florida police officer, Detective Barb Sharp, emphasized during a press conference that the murder was senseless and described the Florida resident, Angela Sutton Washington, as a valued member of the community, a military veteran of Desert Storm, and a beloved daughter, mother, and grandmother.
Following Angela's death, her son, Fernando Washington urged the community to address the issue of violence. Bishop Kelvin Cobaris, a community advocate, expressed his heartbreak over the fact that a teenager was identified as the prime suspect in the fatal shooting of a woman who had dedicated her life to serving the nation and was senselessly taken down by violence.
In 2023, gun violence continued to be prevalent in the US
The increased gun violence in the country has given rise to mass shootings, murders, and unintended tragedies. A report by AP lists the recent high-profile shootings that have taken place in the country.
In Henryetta, Oklahoma, on April 30, a registered s*x offender tragically shot and killed his wife, her three children, and their two friends before taking his own life. The victims' bodies were discovered in a heavily wooded area on a rural property.
Bowdoin, Maine, witnessed the loss of four lives on April 18, when a man recently released from prison opened fire in a home, also injuring three others along a busy highway in a neighboring community. On April 15, at a party in Dadeville, Alabama, four young people lost their lives, and 32 others sustained gunshot wounds. Two teens and a 20-year-old were charged and arrested.
Louisville, Kentucky, witnessed a horrifying event on April 10, when an employee entered the Old National Bank and shot and killed five individuals while livestreaming the attack. The gunman was later shot and killed by the police.
Other incidents include a shooting at a Lunar New Year dance in Monterey Park, California, on January 21, the killing of six individuals at a Walmart outlet in Chesapeake, Virginia, during an employee meeting on November 22, 2022, and an attack at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on November 19.
