The Marion County Sheriff’s Office just announced that it has arrested two juveniles, one of whom was just twelve years old, in connection with a triple homicide in the rural county. During the press conference about the shocking slayings and arrests, the Marion County Sheriff, Sheriff Billy Woods, skewered the anti-gun narrative the media was attempting to push about the incident.
Crushing their attempted narrative about guns being to blame, Sheriff Woods argued that society is instead at fault. In his words, “The fact is: society fails them. We do not hold our juveniles accountable. We minimize their actions.”
Continuing, he noted that the parents of the boys involved don’t really know what to do or say, saying, “Really, [the suspects’ parents] don’t have a whole lot to say. If you’re a parent, put yourself in their shoes. Holy hell. Panic. I’m scared to death as a parent. Embarrassed. Ashamed. What do you think they’re gonna say?”
“I am a father, and I cannot fathom what they were going through. These mothers and the mothers across this nation need all of your help because here’s what infuriates me,” he continued.
“There are individuals out there viewing … who want to blame the one thing that has no ability or the capacity to commit the crime itself, and that’s the gun. These individuals committed the crime,” he argued.
“The bad guy’s going to get a gun no matter what laws you put in place,” he said.
“I am a father. But here’s the one thing my boys know: growing up, the freaking barber had my permission to whip their a–es,” he continued, noting the importance of discipline.
“A simple burglary, as some people would say — but I don’t consider anything ‘simple’ when it comes to a burglary — if the law allows me, I’ll plaster their face up … on my page, on media, I will hand it out if the law allows me because parents have the right to know who their kids are hanging out with and preventing this,” he said.
“Our school districts, not just here, across this state and across this nation need to stop minimizing the actions of their students. Hold them accountable. That’s where the failure is,” he argued.
Posting about the triple homicide and arrest of the two suspects, the sheriff’s office said:
JUVENILES CHARGED WITH FIRST-DEGREE MURDER
On Thursday, March 30, 2023, at approximately 10:52 pm, Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) deputies responded to the area of Forest Lakes Park on SE 183rd Avenue Road in response to an injured female laying on the side of the road suffering from a gunshot wound.
The victim, later identified as Layla Silvernail (DOB: 10/31/2006), was transported to a hospital where she later succumbed to her injuries. The following morning, March 31, 2023, at approximately 7:55 am, deputies responded to SE 94th Street and SE 188th Court in response to a report of another person lying on the side of the road. When deputies responded, they discovered a male juvenile deceased from an apparent gunshot wound. On Saturday, April 1, 2023, at approximately 12:28 pm, following up on a tip, deputies located Layla Silvernail’s vehicle abandoned and partially submerged in a small pond near Ocklawaha, Florida. The vehicle was approximately 9 miles away from the location where Layla Silvernail was located. When detectives searched the vehicle, they located a female juvenile victim deceased from an apparent gunshot wound.
Through various investigative techniques and numerous tips from citizens, detectives were able to develop three suspects in this case. Robert Le’Andrew Robinson (DOB: 12/31/2005), Christopher De’l Atkins (DOB: 6/21/2010) and Tahj Brewton (DOB: 6/15/2006). Robinson and Atkins have been arrested and charged with first-degree murder while Brewton is still at large.
Sheriff Woods stated, “This investigation has been a success because of several factors. Our law enforcement partners with the FBI, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, State Attorney Bill Gladson’s Office, FDLE, the Ocala Police Department, my deputies, detectives, and forensics professionals, and finally, our citizens who provided numerous tips all along the way.”
Watch him here:
After 3 teens murdered 3 other teens with a stolen gun, this is what Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods had to say to a reporter about gun control being a failure. Bravo!
pic.twitter.com/XO91PyM39v— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) April 7, 2023
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video
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