A 32-year-old Florida man and his wife were sleeping in their home on Friday night when he was awakened by noises coming from his kitchen. Impulsively, he grabbed his semi-automatic weapon and went to investigate where the sounds were coming from when he saw someone standing inside his house. The man opened fire and shot down the individual, only to realize later that the person he had just shot and killed was his own teenage brother.
He attempted to revive his brother by performing CPR while his wife called 911, but the 17-year-old Leonard Stay succumbed to his injuries, according to The Inquisitr.
Leonard, fondly known as "Leo," was an exceptional student at the Ococee High School. The school's teaching staff described Leo as a big-hearted individual who always kept smiling. Leo had recently joined the wrestling team, and his coach says he was the kind of person who lifted people's spirits with his positive nature, The Orlando Sentinel reported.
"Nobody could be down around Leo," said coach John Parmenter. "He kept people up. He kept them going. Nothing was impossible for Leo."
Leo was living with his brother and sister-in law, but on Friday night at approximately 11:30 p.m., for some unknown reason, his brother fired his weapon at a person after hearing a noise in his home, according to the Daily Mail.
Police said they would continue their investigation and determine why Leo's brother did not consider the possibility that the noises might have been caused by his teen brother.
Police have not released the identity of Leo's 32-year-old brother and no charges have been filed yet. The State Attorney's Office will decide whether or not to press charges as soon as the investigation is complete, said sheriff spokesman Jeff Williamson.
