Tesha La Sha Florence, the 16-year-old Robert Florence’s mother, killed him in the Kansas city of Wichita early in October 2024.
The Crime
On October 9, 2024, 46-year-old Tesha Florence made a 911 call to Sedgwick County Emergency Communications.
She said she had shot her son.
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When Wichita police arrived at the East Harry Street residence, they found Robert Florence severely injured from a single gunshot.They immediately flew the adolescent to the hospital in a critically injured state.
On October 11, 2024, Robert passed away from his wounds despite best efforts to rescue him.
They immediately detained Tesha Florence and initially accused her of aggravated assault and battery.
However, after Robert’s death, the authorities changed her charges to second-degree murder.
Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan said, expressing both regret and fury at the violence that claimed another young life, “This is a tragic incident that has permanently altered a family. Gun violence cannot be tolerated and affects all of our community.”
Junior at Wichita Northwest High School, Robert Florence was well-known for his compassion, honesty, and people-connection skills.
Kurtis Florence, his older brother, said he was “genuine at all times” and naturally able to steer others into their truth.
People remembered Robert as a kind young man who improved the lot of others around him.
Twenty-year-old Kurtis remembers that Robert had been battling a range of difficulties in the months before his death.
The family struggled financially; their mother, Tesha, had been working long hours at a low-paying manufacturing job to get by.
Robert frequently arrived late to school, which compromised his grades and attendance as the family members shared only one car.
He had before participated in junior varsity basketball, but he was disappointed to not make the squad in his junior year.
Robert had decided to stay home from school in the morning of the shooting, telling his brother he lacked clean clothing to wear.
Before returning to their residence to seek emergency services, Kurtis dropped off his other brother at a university. He was left astounded.
Kurtis, who felt the shooting was an accident, claimed in an interview with media that “my mom wasn’t the type to go off the rail.”
He emphasized that their mother had immediately contacted 911 after the incident, which he interpreted as additional evidence that the terrible event was not intentional.
Tesha Florence, a single mother of four boys, had long struggled with financial difficulties.
After receiving a job as a certified nursing assistant, she had been parenting her sons alone for years.
She had recently started an overnight manufacturing job, paying only $10 an hour, hardly enough to support her family.
From the spring of 2022, Robert, Kurtis, and another sibling had been living with Tesha at Kurtis’s Wichita apartment. Their circumstances seemed to be stressing them financially as much as emotionally.
Tesha reportedly threatened her ex-husband and his girlfriend with a gun in March 2024, despite not disclosing this incident at the time.
This disclosure surfaced during the inquiry into Robert’s death, casting doubt on whether more intense emotions and unsolved disputes had any bearing on the fatal gunshot.
Sedgwick County officials claim that Tesha is currently under further investigation for the incident that occurred in March 2024.
The whole information is expected to be handed to Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett for official charging considerations as investigators keep gathering evidence in both cases.
Following the death of his brother, Kurtis is now not only in mourning but also striving to keep his family intact.
Currently staying in a hotel, he was kicked out of his flat and is looking for legal advice for his mother.
Though the tragedy weighs heavily, Kurtis is steadfast in his support of Tesha.
“My mother produced brilliant, tenacious Black guys. She taught us who we are,” he said, emphasizing that he plans to stand by her side throughout the court case.
Despite the devastating loss of his brother, he remains determined to protect her.
To assist in paying for Robert’s unanticipated burial costs, Kurtis has created a GoFundMe page.
Kurtis said in the fundraising description, “We are devastated by this loss and are trying to negotiate life without him. Any amount, large or small, will be much appreciated as we try to honor Robert Florence in the way he deserves.”
The case has made clear how common gun violence is in the United States, especially its terrible consequences for families and communities.
Chief Sullivan claims that the terrible death of Robert Florence acts as a reminder of the threats gun violence causes to every part of society.
In his remarks, he emphasized the need for a collective effort to prevent such events in the future.
Gun violence, one of the main causes of death for young Americans, calls significant attention to the need to tackle this epidemic.
Whether it stems from domestic strife, mishaps, or other events, the consequences impact families equally.
Moving Forward
The Florence family’s future is unknown until the court procedure plays out. Kurtis and his siblings must also understand their brother’s death and its complicated circumstances.
Despite their losses, the Florence family remains hopeful that Robert’s memory will receive significant respect.
From gifts to words of sympathy, friends, neighbors, and the larger Wichita community have shown their sympathies and given their prayers.
When Kurtis considered his brother’s legacy, he remarked simply, “We are trying to negotiate life without him.”
What does her financial status have to do with the tragic events that led up to her killing her son?