Florida Man Shoots Dead His Teen Brother After He Mistook Him For Home Intruder

A man from Orlando, Florida, was asleep in his home on Friday night with his wife when he heard a noise in his kitchen. He grabbed his semi-automatic handgun and went to check out the sound. He saw someone standing in the home and fired his weapon. The man then realized the person he just shot was his teen brother. He immediately performed CPR, and his wife called 911. Sadly, the 17-year-old brother, Leonard “Leo” Stay, passed away from his injuries.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that Leonard “Leo” Stay was a beloved teen that attended Ocoee High School. The 17-year-old would have been a senior next year. Teachers at Leo’s school say he had a big heart and was always smiling. Leo had joined the wrestling team during the spring semester, and his coach says he was known for lifting people up and his positive nature.

“Nobody could be down around Leo. He kept people up. He kept them going. Nothing was impossible for Leo.”

In addition to being a caring student at Ocoee High School, Leo was also involved in his local church, Mt. Zion Tabernacle Christian Church in Pine Hills. Leo’s pastor, Stanley Murray, says the teen spent a lot of time with the church and could be found feeding the homeless, serving as an usher, and mentoring other youth at the church. He also was the coordinator of a traveling mime dance troop. The troop would travel for performances at other churches in the area. Murray says despite all of his talents, the teen was very humble.

Unfortunately, all of that came to an end on Friday night when Leo’s 32-year-old brother shot and killed him after he mistook the teen for a home intruder. The report indicates that Leo lived with his older brother and his brother’s wife, but that for some unknown reason on Friday night around 11:30 pm, his brother shot him after hearing a noise in the home.

Police say they will continue to investigate the shooting and to determine why Leo’s brother did not consider that the sound may be coming from his brother as he also lived in the home. As of now, the police have just noted that the investigation is ongoing and that the teen’s brother is not ready to speak with the public yet. However, the family is asking for prayers from the community during their time of mourning. The brother’s name has not been released and no charges have been filed.

[Image Credit: Stay Family/ Orlando Sentinel]