APOPKA, Fla. – The mother of an 11-year-old accused of shooting two teens at a Pop Warner football practice in Apopka in 2023 pleaded no contest on Friday to a culpable negligence charge.
Sharelle Johnson, 35, was charged with a felony count of culpable negligence after investigators said she left a loaded firearm within reach of a minor.
During Friday’s plea hearing, Johnson changed her plea from “not guilty” to “no contest.” The judge sentenced Johnson to one year of community control, followed by two years of supervised probation. Johnson was also ordered to write an apology letter to the victims’ families, complete a parenting class and complete 100 hours of community service.
[VIDEO BELOW: 11-year-old in custody after shooting]
At the time of her arrest, the State Attorney’s Office said Johnson left the firearm in a “worn and tattered” cardboard box without any safety locks or fasteners.
Johnson’s son was arrested in October 2023 after he shot two other children — both 13 years old — in a parking lot near the football field, Apopka police said.
Surveillance video (watch below) released after the shooting showed one of the teens chasing the 11-year-old to his mother’s car, where he retrieved a firearm from the vehicle and fired a round at one of the boys chasing him, according to investigators.
Bullets struck the two teens, causing them both to be taken to the hospital, police said.
[SURVEILLANCE VIDEO BELOW: Shooting at Pop Warner practice]
According to a charging affidavit, some witnesses said the three boys had been fighting over a bag of chips. Other witnesses said the 11-year-old was being bullied, an arrest report states.
The 11-year-old was later taken into custody on a charge of attempted murder.
At the time, Apopka Police Chief Mike McKinley warned parents about the importance of properly securing firearms.
“(Johnson’s) firearm was in a box that didn’t have a lock on it,” said McKinley, adding that adults need to be more responsible. “We will be pursuing charges. For that crime, it is a second-degree misdemeanor. For all the parents out there, you have a firearm in your car or a firearm in your house, you have a responsibility to make sure that that firearm is secure and not accessible to your children because it only takes one bad decision and a split-second to ruin their lives.”
[BELOW: 11-year-old arrested in Apopka shooting]