Arrest made in fatal shooting of Florida woman during Zoom call

LAKE MARY, Fla. - An arrest has been made in the fatal shooting of a Florida woman who was killed while on a Zoom conference call with coworkers.

Investigators said 21-year-old Shamaya Lynn, of Altamonte Springs, died from a fatal gunshot wound to the head during the conference call in August at an apartment unit on Spanish Trace Dr.  Detectives later determined that the injury was caused by a toddler who found a loaded handgun, which was left unsecured inside a child's PAW Patrol backpack on the floor.

Two months after the incident, police have identified the child's father, 22-year-old Veondre Avery, as the owner of the firearm.  He is charged with negligent manslaughter and unsafe storage of a firearm. 

"You have to answer to it. I know it’s tragic. I know it may not have been something that that person wanted to do, but now you have consequences," explained Altamonte Springs Police Sgt. Rob Ruiz.

One of the participants on that Zoom call dialed 911 when it appeared Lynn was in need of help. The person stated that during the work-related call, they saw a toddler in the background and heard a noise just before Lynn fell backward and never returned to the call. Officers and paramedics did their best in rendering aid but it was too late. 

FOX EXCLUSIVE: Family of mother killed by toddler on Zoom remembers their loved one

"I don’t think we’re ever going to be the same, ever. Never, never, never, never, never," said Shamaya Lynn’s aunt, Tawanna Davis. 

In an interview with FOX 35 News following the incident, Davis described her niece as bubbly, smart, and hopeful. She said she dreamed of a beautiful life for her two young boys that she cared about more than anything in the world. 

"She just got her own place. She was trying to work to make money for herself and her babies She was determined not to be the stigma of a teenage mom," Davis said. "She tried so hard to do the right thing and this shouldn’t have happened. This was negligent, it was preventable and she didn’t see this coming."

"You have the obligation since you are a gun owner to lock and secure your firearms and not leave it readily accessible to anyone," Sgt. Ruiz added.

FOX 35 News asked police why it took two months to file charges against the father. 

"You have to do your due diligence in actually getting all that info together before filing a charge, so it took a while. Our investigators did a great job with the State Attorney’s Office," explained Sgt. Ruiz.

Investigators said Avery was not home at the time of the shooting, but he came home shortly after, and when police arrived at the home, Avery was performing CPR on Lynn.

Avery was transported to the Seminole County Jail.  

The couple's two children are now with Lynn's family.  They did not want to speak on Tuesday in detail about the arrest but told FOX 35 News that justice doesn’t equal comfort for their family.

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