A Florida mother has been charged with aggravated assault after she shot her 15-year-old daughter outside a Miami McDonald’s Friday night.
Melissa Valbrum claimed the shooting was accidental, WPLG reported. She said she had the gun in her waistband, but it fell and went off, with the bullet striking the teen, according to a police report.
That same report said that surveillance and cell phone video showed Valbrum prior to the shooting “with a firearm in her hand” as she banged on a Lyft driver’s rear passenger window.
The arrest report said that Valbrum also threatened to shoot the Lyft driver, who had arrived to pick up her daughter and two cousins, and his three passengers.
Acording to the report, she had become incensed because she thought one of the three pointed at her. The person who pointed told police she was trying to indicate to the other two that their Lyft had arrived.
According to USA Today, the Lyft driver told police that Valbrum reached into his vehicle and assaulted one of the cousins. The arrest report says the mother threatened to “shoot and kill” her daughter and the cousins.
She was pointing the gun at the Lyft as it was driving away when the gun fired, striking the daugther in the shoulder.
Valbrum was charged with four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, one count of battery, and one count of inflicting personal injury or culpable negligence, WPLG reported. She given a $22,000 bond in court on Sunday and ordered to stay away from the victims, including her daughter. She immediately posted bond.
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[Featured image: Melissa Valbrum/Miami-Dade Corrections]
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Author: KC Wildmoon
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