On the morning of October 9, a mother reportedly called 911 to inform authorities that she had sh*t her son, according to police. Inside their Wichita, Kansas, apartment, officers found 16-year-old Robert Florence with a g*nshot wound, as detailed in police press releases.
Robert was rushed to the hospital in critical condition and died from his injuries on October 11, per an updated police report.
The day of the sh*oting, Robert’s mother, Tesha La Sha Florence, 46, was booked into Sedgwick County Jail at 4:34 p.m. She was initially charged with two counts of aggravated assa•*ult and one count of aggr*vated battery, with a $1,000,000 surety bond set for the battery charge. Following Robert’s death, she faced an additional charge of second-degree m*rder.
Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan described the incident as a trag!c event that has permanently altered a family, underscoring the broader impact of g*n v!olence on the community.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Robert’s older brother, Kurtis Florence, reflected on his brother’s character, describing him as genuine and trustworthy. He shared that Robert, a junior at Wichita Northwest High School, had a strong presence in his community and was a caring individual.
Kurtis also discussed the family’s financial struggles. Since spring 2022, their mother, Robert, and another brother had been living in Kurtis’ apartment. Their mother, who had previously worked as a certified nursing assistant, had taken on a low-paying overnight factory job. Kurtis explained how the family juggled a single car, which led to Robert often being late to school. His declining attendance and grades resulted in him not making the junior varsity basketball team.
On the morning of the sh*oting, Robert stayed home because he didn’t have clean clothes. After dropping off their other brother, Kurtis returned to find sirens near the apartment.
“My mom wasn’t someone who lost control,” Kurtis explained, adding that he believes the sh*oting was accidental, not intentional.
During the investigation, police revealed that earlier in the year, Tesha had allegedly threatened her ex-husband and his girlfriend with a g*n, though this incident wasn’t reported. Kurtis said he was unaware of the March 2024 event.
Tesha was scheduled for her initial court appearance on October 15, according to Dan Dillon from the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.
Meanwhile, Kurtis, who has been living in a hotel after being evicted from his apartment, is mourning his brother while trying to hold the family together. He told PEOPLE that he is looking for legal representation for his mother.
“My mom raised strong, smart Black men,” Kurtis said, vowing to stand by her side. “I’ve always tried to be strong for my mom.”
He has also launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover his youngest brother’s burial costs, remembering Robert as a “beloved son, sibling, and friend” whose kindness and humor touched many.
“We are heartbroken by this loss and trying to figure out how to move forward without him,” Kurtis shared in the post.