RUSKIN, Fla. – Christopher Lee Brown, 36, was arrested Sunday after police say he shot his three sons following a family argument about a car.
According to court records, deputies responded to a shooting call at around 11:15 a.m. in Brown’s neighborhood in Ruskin, Hillsborough County. When officers arrived, they found Brown’s three sons with gunshot injuries.
Details of the Incident
All three boys, who are juveniles, were rushed to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and are expected to recover. Their identities have not been released.
Police reports reveal that the shooting happened after Brown confronted his sons over a disagreement about a family vehicle. The situation escalated, leading to Brown allegedly hitting one boy in the head with a gun. This caused the weapon to discharge, wounding the boy’s jaw and ear.
Brown then tried to flee in his car, but the other two boys chased after him. Brown allegedly fired multiple shots at them during the chase.
Threatening Messages and Charges
In a recording played to investigators by one of the boys, Brown admitted, “I tried to take your life,” adding, “You won’t make it to Wednesday.”
The Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office has filed a pretrial motion to keep Brown in custody until his trial.
Brown faces a wide range of felony charges, including:
- Three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
- Two counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm
- Three counts of aggravated battery with great bodily harm
- Being a felon in possession of a firearm
- Discharging a firearm in public or residential property
- Two counts of burglary of an occupied dwelling
- Resisting an officer without violence
- Criminal mischief ($200-$1,000 damage)
This disturbing family violence case highlights the dangers of escalating conflicts and gun violence within homes. Brown is now held pending trial as investigators continue to build the case.
