Mother accused of shooting her children’s father at a Florida daycare

Florida Mom Accused After Day Care Shooting Incident

A mother in Florida has been accused of a serious crime after an incident at a day care while picking up her children’s father.

According to police reports, 37-year-old Christopher Travis Jones appeared unexpectedly at Stark’s Aunt Lili’s childcare center on Friday, as he greeted his two kids. He hugged them before heading to his car. It was then, while seated in the front, that he pulled out a gun and fired three shots.

Jones reportedly screamed and attempted to flee as bullets continued to fire. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get through a second security door and sustained several more injuries before the gun jammed.

Surveillance footage captured Osteen, 35, saying, “Let the monster die,” a chilling statement that has drawn attention in the police reports. She allegedly told Jones, “You had to die,” and claimed he responded by saying, “I’m not killing anyone.”

When deputies arrived, Jones was still alive and managed to identify Osteen as the shooter. Osteen later surrendered, stating, “I’m here. I did it in self-defense.”

Jones was quickly transported to a nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries later on. Thankfully, the couple’s children were unharmed, though their ages remain unknown. At the time of the incident, six other children and two staff members were present at the daycare but escaped without injuries.

Major George Conquell from the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office remarked that the incident was particularly striking because it resembled a typical day at a daycare, making it all the more unsettling.

For now, the children are being cared for by relatives. Conquell noted, “It will affect them for the rest of their lives,” highlighting that they effectively lost both parents in one tragic event.

Authorities have revealed that the last known interaction between Jones and Osteen involving conflicts took place in April 2024.

Jones’s sister, Melanie Russo, emphasized that despite Osteen’s claims of self-defense, her brother was a victim. “People want to always stand up and talk for women,” she stated, advocating for the acknowledgment that men can be victims too, something she witnessed firsthand.