BRADENTON, Fla. — Three people died late Sunday in a murder-suicide at a Brandenton home.
- Shooting happened during argument
- Grandmother, 2-year-old child also present in home, not injured
- Friends of teen honoring her legacy
According to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, James Bennett shot and killed his wife Silvana Bennett during an argument at their home in the 11600 block of Griffith Terrace.
James Bennett also shot his wife's 16-year-old daughter Andrea Barberena-Rojas before turning the gun on himself, deputies said.
James Bennett's mother Carla and her granddaughter were in the home at the time of the shooting but were not injured.
Deputies responded to the home just after 11 p.m. and pronounced Silvana and James dead. Paramedics entered and worked on Andrea due to her having a heartbeat, but she also succumbed to her injuries.
The couple's two-year-old daughter turns three on Wednesday. The child is now safe with other family members.
Friends, ROTC teammates remember "Abby"
Lakewood Ranch High School senior Kelly Walker described Barberena-Rojas, who went by the name "Abby," as a "great friend" and a "great teammate."
"She was very compassionate and she was, like, a people person," Walker said. "She was always happy and always so full of life and the fact that she was taken away from this so early, it's so sad (crying) I'm sorry. It's so devastating and heartbreaking."
Barberena-Rojas's ROTC family at Lakewood Ranch High School is coming together to honor the life of their fellow cadet, who they say will always walk beside them.
"Not focusing on the bad and how she died," Walker explained. "But mostly about all the fun times and the person she was and what legacy she is leaving behind."
An investigation is ongoing.