A Hollywood teenager was charged Wednesday with manslaughter in the shooting death of his 13-year-old friend, and his mother was charged with failing to properly store the gun used in the crime, prosecutors said.
Shari Edwards and her son, Jeff Dilworth, 14, are expected to surrender to authorities, said Assistant State Attorney Maria Schneider, who filed the charges in Broward Circuit Court.
Their surrender arrangements were not disclosed.
Dilworth was charged as an adult in the April 28 death of Daniel Torres. Police originally classified the shooting as accidental, but Schneider said the investigation warrants criminal charges.
Manslaughter charges can be filed under Florida law when a person’s actions result in death but there’s no malice or premeditation. The charges are often used in cases involving reckless or negligent conduct.
If convicted, Dilworth could face a prison term of up to 30 years.
Edwards, 50, was charged with culpable negligence, a third-degree felony that carries a maximum five-year sentence.
On Wednesday, no one answered the door at Edwards’ yellow home with white trim, where police said the shooting occurred.
Michael Skori, 30, a neighbor, said his family often saw Torres and Dilworth playing outdoors and heard their laughter.
Now, “it’s been quiet in this neighborhood,” Skori said. “It’s sad. Both [boys’] families are hurting.”
Dilworth and Torres were home from Apollo Middle School when Dilworth removed his mother’s 9 mm handgun from her bedroom nightstand to show it to Torres, according to a search warrant in the case.
Dilworth told investigators he then placed the gun back in the nightstand, according to the warrant.
He said he later saw Torres hold the gun and remove the gun’s magazine and two bullets, the warrant said. Dilworth said he took the gun from Torres and, checking to see if the gun was empty, pulled the trigger, according to a 911 recording.
Torres walked in front of him as he pulled the trigger, Dilworth said.
“I just shot my best friend on accident! Oh my God!” he cried to the 911 operator. “It was an accident! I’m sorry!”
Dilworth said he shot his friend in the head. “Am I going to go to jail?” he cried.
Florida law requires owners to prevent children from getting access by storing loaded weapons in a locked container or safeguarding them with a trigger lock.
Torres’ stepfather, Daniel Delgado, 36, said last month that he wanted accountability for the shooting. He couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday despite two messages left on his cell phone.
Staff writers Juan Ortega and Tonya Alanez and staff researcher Barbara Hijek contributed to this report.
Rafael Olmeda can be reached at
or 954-356-4694.
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