Two sisters aged 15 and 11 have been charged with the murder of their 16-year-old brother amid reports the boy was shot dead as he slept at their family home.
Police said 15-year-old Misty Renee Kornegay, also known as Ariel, used her parents' handgun to shoot Damien Kornegay, 16, at their home in Florida, US.
Officers confirmed her sister, Nicole Kornegay, "assisted" her in the killing, although they did not elaborate on the younger girl's role.
According to Columbia County Sheriff's spokesman, Murray Smith, the investigation began on Monday night.
Police in the small town of White Springs learned the girls had run away from home and tracked them down after they were spotted at a local Dollar General store.
The siblings told officers about "a shooting at their residence," said Mr Smith.
On arrival at the Kornegay family home, Sheriff's Office Deputies found Damien's dead body sprawled out on the living room floor. He had been shot once, they said.
Mr Smith said: "Based on the preliminary investigation, it is believed that earlier in the evening the 15-year-old sister of the deceased retrieved a handgun from their parents' bedroom and used it to shoot her brother.
He would only confirm that Nicole Kornegay had "assisted" in the killing, reports News 4 Jax.
According to reports Stateside, Ariel Kornegay told police that her brother had beaten her in the hours leading up to the shooting, but officers have yet to comment on motive.
The girls' parents, Keith Kornegay, 37, and Misty Kornegay, 33, were reportedly out of town at the time of the incident. They face charges of child neglect.
Another three-year-old child, who was found home alone in the property, is being cared for by the Florida Department of Children and Families, Mr Smith said.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Columbia County Sheriff Mark Hunter said: "Anytime you come on scene with something this horrific, where you have juveniles or children involved, it's pretty unsettling, even to seasoned law enforcement and deputies.
"This is a very unusual event for us here in the community - very tragic."
Ariel and Nicole Kornegay are being held without bond in the Columbia County Detention Facility. They are expected to appear in court today.
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