26-year-old man died after his stepfather he spoke out against because he disciplined his 9-year-old brother shot him several times in the chest and stomach; stepfather charged
Florida – In a harrowing family tragedy in Florida, a 26-year-old man, identified as A. Martinez, was gunned down by his 43-year-old stepfather, identified as K. Garcia, during a confrontation over the treatment of his 9-year-old brother. The incident has led to second-degree murder charges against the stepfather and exposed deep-rooted issues in a household where discipline, access to firearms, and family tensions intersected with deadly consequences.
The fatal incident unfolded on the evening of May 22 at a residence. According to the police department, the chain of events began when the family’s 9-year-old son was caught playing a game that his parents had explicitly banned. Garcia, along with the boy’s 48-year-old mother A. Daza, responded by disciplining the boy and confiscating his cellphone as punishment. Angered by the punishment, the boy reportedly went into his parents’ bedroom and retrieved a handgun from a nightstand drawer. Daza and Garcia wrestled with the child and ultimately managed to get the weapon away from him.
Moments later, Martinez — Daza’s eldest son — entered the room to find his young brother upset and his stepfather holding a gun. Witnesses and authorities said Martinez immediately became alarmed and began confronting Garcia, expressing concern over how Garcia was disciplining the younger children in the household. What began as a verbal confrontation quickly turned deadly. Police say Garcia opened fire on Martinez, shooting him several times in the chest and stomach. As Martinez stumbled out of the bedroom, Garcia allegedly followed him and fired two more shots into his back before the young man collapsed.
Martinez was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Police Chief S. Parker stated that Martinez had not displayed any aggression or physical threat toward Garcia, and investigators found no evidence supporting a claim of self-defense. “We do not believe there’s anything to support that Martinez was physically aggressive towards him,” Parker said. The tragic altercation unfolded in front of two young children, who now must grapple with the trauma of witnessing the killing of their older brother. “It’s just a tragic situation for somebody that young,” Parker added. “So I truly hope, and I truly feel, that as they grow, they’ll be able to do things to help overcome this and lead productive lives.”
In addition to the second-degree murder charge, Garcia was also charged with unlawful storage of a firearm accessible to a minor. The fact that the 9-year-old knew exactly where to find the weapon and was able to access it easily raised serious concerns about firearm safety in the home. “We have a nine-year-old that knows where stepdad keeps his gun and goes to it,” Parker emphasized. “I truly believe that if that child did not know where that gun was, none of this would have happened today. None of it.”
Authorities from the sheriff’s office assisted the police at the scene, describing it as an “extensive” crime scene. Garcia is currently being held in county jail without bond. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison under Florida law. The incident has left the family devastated — a mother now without her oldest child, and two young children traumatized by violence in what should have been a place of safety. According to Chief Parker, the 9-year-old has spoken frequently about his older brother since the shooting. “The nine-year-old, a lot of his conversations were about his brother,” Parker said. “I don’t have a brother anymore.” The investigation remains ongoing, but the core tragedy — a preventable death stemming from a volatile mix of family tension and unsecured weapons — has already left scars that may last a lifetime.
