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Mom charged in the shooting death of her five month old son on Okaloosa Island

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office today arrested a Fort Walton Beach woman in connection with the shooting death of her five month old son. 30-year old Maria Rodriguez-Barnes is charged […]

Jared Williams

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The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office today arrested a Fort Walton Beach woman in connection with the shooting death of her five month old son.

30-year old Maria Rodriguez-Barnes is charged with first degree premeditated murder.

Deputies were called to the parking lot of The Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island around 8:30 a.m. March 25th by a crew of workers who saw Barnes outside her Nissan pickup truck shortly after she shot herself in the torso.

They then discovered five month old Jaxxon Rodriguez-Barnes seated in the left rear floorboard of the truck, slumped over a pillow. He had been shot once in the chest.

A search warrant turned up a 9 mm handgun, shell casings, and handwritten notes inside the vehicle. Rodriguez-Barnes had also texted and emailed family members about her pending plans in connection to the infant and herself.

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