Mom arrested after telling police she accidentally shot teen daughter following argument at Miami-Dade McDonald's
MIAMI — A woman was arrested Friday night after she told police that she had accidentally shot her teenage daughter following an argument at a Miami-Dade County McDonald's.
Melissa Valbrum, 32, was arrested after the incident and is facing three charges: aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, battery and culpable negligence inflicting personal injury.
Just after 10:10 p.m., officers were called out to the fast food restaurant at 9250 NW 7th Ave. in Pinewood regarding "a dispute where a firearm accidentally discharged" by a woman and struck her 15-year-old daughter in her left shoulder, Miami-Dade Police told CBS News Miami.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue then took the teen to Jackson Memorial Hospital Ryder Trauma Center, where she is in stable condition.
According to the arrest affidavit, the teen and her mom were in the McDonald's along with another group.
When a Lyft arrived for the party, one member of the party told police they were pointing outside to alert the group the Lyft had arrived. Valbrum's daughter said a member of the group was pointing at Valbrum.
This led to a verbal dispute inside of the restaurant before continuing outside. By this time the three members of the group were inside the Lyft.
At that moment, Valbrum allegedly pulled out a gun and began threatening to "shoot and kill" all three of them while pointing the firearm in their direction, the affidavit stated.
As the Lyft drove off, the affidavit stated, they heard a gunshot and saw the teen had been shot.
When police spoke with the second juvenile, she said she was assaulted while sitting inside the Lyft and that the argument had begun when the someone from her group pointed toward the vehicle, causing Valbrum to believe she was pointing at her.
The second juvenile told police that Valbrum then went to her car to grab a gun and return to them, banging on the Lyft's window and threatening to shoot and kill them, the affidavit stated.
Police then spoke with the Lyft driver, who said Valbrum was allegedly acting "extremely aggressive" while pointing a gun at him, the second juvenile and other members of the group. He also told police that he allegedly saw Valbrum reach inside his car and assault the second juvenile.
After being read her Miranda rights, Valbrum told police that her gun was on her waistband during the incident and it had "accidentally fell," causing it to go off and shoot her daughter, the affidavit stated.
The affidavit also noted that police had watched surveillance and phone video of the incident that showed Valbrum with a gun in her hand while knocking on the rear passenger window of the Lyft. CBS News Miami is attempting to obtain the video.
After further investigation, Valbrum was taken and booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. She bonded out on Sunday night.