Teen kills 13-year-old girl in accidental Christmas Day shooting, Orange County deputies say
By Tony Atkins, Allison Petro
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ORANGE COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A 15 -year-old is behind bars after shooting a 13-year-old girl on Christmas Day, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said they responded to a home in the 2200 block of Okada Court after reports of a person being shot.
The victim, 13-year-old Emony Nicole Jackson, was taken to a hospital where she died from her injuries.
The OCSO said a 15-year-old approached deputies on scene and said he was responsible for the shooting and that it was an accident.
For Emony’s family, the loss is devastating — and permanent.
“She had goals,” said her cousin, Tramaine Henderson. “She would never get to go to prom. She would never get to go to college.”
Henderson said the family is struggling with the reality that while the teen charged in the case will still have his family, Emony will never come home.
“He’s a child, but at the end of the day, his family will get to see him,” Henderson said. “My family won’t get to see Emony anymore.”
Emony’s death comes after years of hardship. In 2017, she lost her mother and younger sister in a car crash. Despite that trauma, her family said she remained determined and hopeful.
“She went through a lot in her life,” Henderson said. “But the lemons she was given, she made lemonade out of it.”
Chrissy Boyce, a mentor with Elevate Orlando who worked closely with Emony, said hearing the news was overwhelming.
“When I found out, I screamed and cried,” Boyce said. “It wasn’t very pretty.”
Boyce said Emony had dreams of becoming a cheerleader and was excited about starting high school. She had even begun reaching out to coaches on Emony’s behalf.
“I talked to the coach,” Boyce said. “But unfortunately, I won’t be able to get that information to Emony.”
While the family said they are still unsure exactly what happened the night of the shooting, they are united in their call for accountability.
“At 15, you should not have a gun,” Henderson said. “I think there needs to be some accountability.”
The 15-year-old boy was charged with manslaughter.
Deadly holiday Two more teens were killed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in separate shootings: a 17-year-old in Deltona and a 17-year-old in Orange County.
And a man was found dead in Ocala on Christmas Day.
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