A Central Florida family vacation meant to celebrate a toddler’s birthday turned into a heartbreaking crime scene when 2-year-old Brayden Tennyson was fatally shot outside a Kissimmee rental home. The child’s relatives from Louisville, Georgia, had just arrived on July 12 when, according to deputies, a 4-year-old family member found an unsecured handgun inside a vehicle and fired it, striking Brayden. Relatives say he died one day before his third birthday. Authorities say the case remains under active investigation.
What deputies say
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office homicide unit found that the weapon was discovered and discharged from inside the family’s vehicle as adults were unloading luggage at the rental property, according to FOX 35 Orlando. Investigators said the round that killed Brayden was fired from that gun, which they identified as belonging to his mother. Detectives said they are still collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses, and the sheriff’s office reported that no arrests have been made.
Family remembers Brayden
Relatives who came to Central Florida to mark Brayden’s birthday described him as a “sweet child” and said they had planned a balloon release in his honor, WESH reported. “His birthday is today,” his mother, Dalfornia Tennyson, told reporters, according to that account. Family members said they had been staying in the Cove East at Storey Lake community when the shooting happened.
Sheriff urges safe storage
Sheriff Christopher Blackmon called the shooting preventable and used the case to highlight gun safety at a recent press briefing. Holding up a gun lock, he warned, “Once you pull that trigger, that projectile is going somewhere,” FOX 35 Orlando reported. Blackmon said his office is handing out free cable locks and urged residents to secure firearms inside homes and vehicles, adding that the agency will keep pushing public outreach in hopes of avoiding similar tragedies.
Investigation and possible charges
Investigators say the 4-year-old relative accidentally fired the unsecured handgun, and local officials said prosecutors are reviewing the evidence to determine whether any criminal charges will be filed, according to WESH. The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office has described the investigation as active and ongoing and declined to release additional information while detectives continue their work. The State Attorney’s Office has not announced any charging decisions.
How to help
Authorities have asked anyone with information to contact the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. Relatives say they plan to return to Georgia and hold a memorial for Brayden. In the meantime, the family has been met with an outpouring of condolences and offers of support from the community as investigators continue their efforts to piece together exactly what happened in those few devastating moments outside the vacation rental.
