Young Sisters Charged in Brother's Murder

Two sisters and their parents have been jailed in Columbia County following the grisly discovery of a 16-year-old boy who had been shot to death.

According to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the incident unfolded Monday evening.

Authorities in the North Florida community learned of the crime when the sisters reached out to a White Springs Police Officer, informing him of a shooting at their home on Sophie Drive. The sheriff’s office was called out to the scene Monday around 10 p.m.

When deputies arrived, they found the teenage boy, who is not being identified, lying dead on the living room floor, a media release stated. The teen had been shot.

Detectives say that Misty “Ariel” Renee Kornegay, 15, went into her parents room, took out a gun and shot her brother. She was arrested Monday and charged with premeditated murder.

See Also:

• Cops: Armed Burglar Had 5-Month-Old in Tow
• Dad Calls Cops to Watch Spanking

Ariel’s sister, 11-year-old Nicole Kornegay was also charged in the crime Tuesday after police learned she assisted her older sister, a sheriff’s office media release stated. It is unclear how she assisted in the crime, but she also faces a count of premeditated murder, the sheriff’s office reported.

The children’s parents, Keith, 37, and Misty, 33, were also both charged with child neglect, the sheriff’s office stated. They were out of town at the time of the shooting.

Deputy Murray Smith, spokesman for the sheriff’s office, shed some light on a possible motive in the case. He said Ariel and her older brother had gotten into an argument earlier in the day and that she told police he beat her up, NBC News quoted him as saying.

The girls’ sister, a 3-year-old, was also home at the time. She has been taken into custody by the Florida Department of Children and Families, the sheriff’s office reported.

Photo Credit: Booking shots of Ariel, Nicole, Keith and Misty Kornegay courtesy of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office