A Florida man is facing bleak holiday repercussions after the fatal shooting of his half-brother in an unincorporated part of Naperville, Illinois, on Christmas Day. 28-year-old Kendall Yarborough is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the death of James Watson, according to the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office. As reported by NBC Chicago, Yarborough was upstairs in the home when Watson, purportedly searching for his phone downstairs, slammed a card table in frustration. That's when Yarborough allegedly fired the fatal shot from above, striking Watson in the abdomen.
The shooting occurrence took place around 3:06 p.m. Family members at the scene called emergency services and attempted to provide aid to Watson before he was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. A pretrial detention hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, CBS Chicago reports. The State's Attorney, Robert Berlin, issued a statement reinforcing the gravity of the event, saying "this senseless act of violence will not go unpunished," and extending condolences to the bereaved family.
During the disturbing holiday incident, a 9mm Sig Sauer P-365X handgun along with a spent bullet casing were recovered from the crime scene, according to authorities. Yarborough, hailing from Palm Harbor, was apprehended at the residence without resistance.
"I offer my sincere condolences and wish them strength as they mourn the loss of a family member and come to terms with another family member accused of his murder," Berlin said, in an emotional response to the tragic family altercation. It remains unresolved what might have been going through Yarborough's mind or if the bloody act was premeditated, but the legal system now bears the weight of casting judgment on the fatal incident that has left one brother dead and another in custody.
