Florida teen killed parents before calling 911, police say

A Florida teen shot and killed his parents before walking to a nearby church to turn himself in, according to police on Monday, Aug. 4.

Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook said in a press conference that 14-year-old Trevor Lee called 911 shortly after midnight, confessed to what he had done, and said he was waiting at a church for the police.

In a phone call audio obtained by The Florida Times-Union, part of the USA TODAY Network, Lee is heard telling the operator what he allegedly did and his location before saying, “I need to pray.”

The Sheriff’s Office found him at the church after discovering his parents, 44-year-old David K. Lee and 45-year-old Brandi L. Smith, dead at their home. According to Cook, the shooting resulted from a domestic argument the night before, and the firearm is believed to have been his parents. 

The gun was recovered at the home, where no one else was present. Authorities are investigating his mental health history and the family’s background.

‘Loved me like a son’

Friends and family of the deceased couple said they were selfless and caring people before their death.

“They were probably the best, or one of the best families, I knew,” family friend Kyree Beamon told local news outlet News4JAX. “They were funny, and they treated me very well. They told me all the time that they loved me like a son, and they treated me as such.”

Beamon’s mother said in a social media post that the dead parents were like a second family to her son.

“Thank you Brandi Smith-Lee for loving my baby! Thank David for being his second dad!” she said. “You will both be missed entirely!”

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.