Florida Man Fatally Shoots 3-Year-Old Daughter Before Taking His Own Life

A community in Florida is mourning the loss of a 3-year-old girl, who was shot and killed by her father over the weekend before he turned the gun on himself.

According to Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Cherish Jackson transported to Sacred Heart Hospital on Saturday, where she died on the following day. The father, who has been identified as 22-year-old Terrence Jackson was pronounced dead at the scene from a self-sustained gunshot wound to the head.

Investigators said that Jackson shared custody with the child’s mother, and would often come and take the girl for a walk to the store on Saturdays. However, on that afternoon, witnesses say Jackson walked about 100 yards from his daughter’s home before pulling out a gun, shooting her twice and then shooting himself, Sgt. Melony Peterson reports.

Dozens of family members and friends gathered on Monday in remembrance of Cherish, and the child’s mother Casey Scott took the time to thank the crowd for their support.

“Thanks to all of y’all who came out here for my baby. She was loved by all of y’all and I really, really appreciate that,” Scott said before pausing momentarily. “I’ve been holding my head high,” she added. “I know that my baby wouldn’t want us out here crying. Wouldn’t want us out here struggling. Wouldn’t want us out here breaking down. As you can see, she was a fighter.”

Investigators are still working to determine a possible motive for the shooting.

Retonjah Burdette

Retonjah Burdette is a publicist and published content curator from Atlanta, Georgia. After receiving her Bachelor’s in Public Relations from Georgia Southern University in 2017, Burdette then went on to get field experience with one of the top entertainment PR firms in Atlanta. Since the start of her career, Burdette has worked with a number of actors, authors, entrepreneurs and independent artists. She has secured placements on media outlets such as TV One’s Sister Circle, Good Day Atlanta on FOX, V-103, CBS 46, Kontrol Magazine, KISS 104.1 and Rolling Out to name a few. In addition to her growth in PR, she is currently a writer for Baller Alert, a top platform for news and entertainment. In hopes of bringing the visions of others to life, she launched Girl Avant-Garde in 2019, a creative agency specializing in innovative content, branding and PR in entertainment. Her overall goal is to have autonomy over her creative thought process and to teach branding to new entrepreneurs and others pursuing a career in the public eye.

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