Mom of preteen who shot two boys with her gun charged with felony negligence

The mother of the 11-year-old Florida boy caught on video grabbing a gun from her car and opening fire at a youth football practice is facing up to five years in prison after being busted on a felony weapons charge.

Sharelle Johnson, 33, was arrested Thursday and charged with culpable negligence more than two months after her son allegedly shot two 13-year-old kids in a fight over chips.

She was hit with the third-degree felony because her “11-year-old son was able to obtain a loaded firearm from an unsecured cardboard box that was left in her vehicle,” State Attorney Andrew Bain said.

“The cardboard box that held the weapon was worn and tattered, did not have any safety locks or fasteners and was easily accessible,” he said.

“As a result, two children were shot and injured.”

Johnson’s son faces an attempted murder charge. The mom’s negligence culpable charge carries a sentence of up to five years in prison, the prosecutor said.

Disturbing surveillance video from Oct. 2 captured the boy reaching into his mom’s car, grabbing the loaded gun and opening fire at a pair of teens who police said had been chasing him in a parking lot in Apopka.

A report from the Apopka Police Department said the pre-teen been chased and attacked by the victims, with witnesses telling detectives that one of the older boys had slapped him in the face during an argument over a bag of chips. Other witnesses said the 11-year-old was being bullied.

Surveillance video showed one of the victims pursuing the 11-year-old just before the shooting. Someone tried to break up the fight, but the youngster grabbed the gun and fired a single shot at his pursuers, which struck one of them in the torso and another in the arm, according to the police.

Moments later, Johnson can be seen grabbing the firearm from her son’s hands and dragging him back to the car.

Apopka Police Chief Mike McKinley at the time described the 11-year-old shooting suspect as “very quiet and shy” and “looking very somber.”

McKinley explained that police were pursuing a single criminal charge for attempted murder because they did not feel it was necessary to “stack charges upon an 11-year-old with no criminal history.”

“It’s a shame. No one wants to arrest an 11-year-old by any means, but based on our investigation, we feel those charges are warranted,” the chief added.

The shooting victim who was struck in the torso is still in the hospital more than two months later, reported Fox 35 Orlando. Prosecutors said he suffered serious injuries requiring surgery.

The boy’s mom was released from jail Thursday after posting a $2,500 bond. A lawyer representing the family didn’t immediately return a message.

With Post.