A central Mississippi high school teacher was shot to death earlier this week inside her home and her 14-year-old daughter has been charged with her murder.
Not only did the teen shoot and kill her own mother, police said, but she also shot her stepfather before fleeing the scene of the crime on foot.
The tragedy occurred on Tuesday evening in Rankin County when police received a 911 call from a man who reported he had found his wife dead in their home, WJTV-TV reported.
The man also told officers he had found his teen stepdaughter armed when he returned to the home the three shared.
The man said the girl, 14-year-old Carly Madison Gregg, killed her mother and was also armed with a handgun that she used to open fire on him.
Police say the man was shot in the shoulder but was able to wrestle the gun away from Gregg during a scuffle.
The girl reportedly fled the scene on foot after jumping a fence.
The stepfather, who was not named by police, called in the incident just after 5 p.m.
A task force of multiple law enforcement agencies quickly assembled and captured the teen on foot a short time after the call was placed.
Within minutes, deputies with the local sheriff’s office, with the assistance of a helicopter from the Mississippi Highway Patrol, located the girl. She was arrested without incident.
#BREAKINGNEWS: The mugshot of the 14-year-old accused of killing her mother and injuring her step-father in a Rankin County shooting has been released. https://t.co/XOUksOgXQ7 pic.twitter.com/Q3dw2ZqNwI
— WJTV 12 News (@WJTV) March 20, 2024
The deceased woman was identified as 40-year-old Ashley Smylie — a teacher at Northwest Rankin school.
Ashley Smylie was a math teacher at Northwest Rankin Middle School before she was shot and killed on Tuesday. Officers believe it was her daughter who pulled the trigger. https://t.co/YcXFLCoR0T pic.twitter.com/HM6WP9Mn58
— SuperTalk News (@SuperTalkNews) March 20, 2024
Gregg attended the same school, WJTV reported.
While Gregg is only 14, local prosecutors have charged her as an adult in both shootings.
Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey confirmed Gregg is charged with murder and attempted murder.
On Wednesday, the teen appeared in court and was ordered charged with the crimes but pleaded not guilty. She is being held at the Rankin County Adult Detention Center on a $1 million bond.
Police have not said what they believe might have motivated the teen to allegedly kill her mother and shoot her stepfather.
