The morning sun had barely risen over Wichita, Kansas, on October 9, 2024, when the quiet of a family apartment was shattered.
Inside the modest East Harry Street home, chaos had replaced the usual hum of daily life.
Sixteen-year-old Robert Florence lay on the living room floor with a single gunshot wound, a life interrupted before it had fully begun.
His mother, Tesha La Sha Florence, 46, had called 911 in a panic, reporting that she had shot her son.
Police and emergency responders rushed to the apartment, their sirens cutting through the still morning air.
Robert was transported to the hospital in extremely critical condition, where he fought for his life for two harrowing days.
On Friday morning, October 11, Robert succumbed to his injuries, leaving a family shattered and a community mourning a young life lost too soon.
The tragedy reverberated through the halls of the Wichita Police Department and beyond.
Chief Joe Sullivan spoke solemnly about the incident, emphasizing the ripple effects of gun violence.
“This is a tragic incident that has forever altered a family,” he said.
“Gun violence affects our entire community and cannot be tolerated.”
For Robert’s older brother, Kurtis Florence, 20, the loss was deeply personal and incomprehensible.
In a quiet, strained phone interview, he recalled his brother’s character with heartfelt reverence.
“Robert was just somebody you could trust,” Kurtis said.
“He kept it genuine at all times.”
“He was always able to point you to your truth. People lie a lot of times, but he could see through all that.”
Kurtis described his younger brother as a force within their community, a very loving, caring young man whose presence brought comfort to friends, family, and neighbors alike.
The Florence family had endured years of financial struggle.
Kurtis explained that since spring 2022, he, his mother, and his two younger brothers had been living together in his apartment to make ends meet.
Their mother had once worked as a certified nursing assistant, raising four sons as a single parent, but recent years had been a financial battle.
Tesha eventually took a night-shift factory job paying just ten dollars an hour.
With only one car for the family, Kurtis often found himself driving his girlfriend to work, then dropping his brothers at school, followed by a long commute to bring his mother to her job.
The long hours and exhausting schedules took a toll on Robert.
He often arrived late to school, his grades slipping as attendance suffered.
Despite his passion for basketball, the junior varsity player did not make the team as a junior, a blow that weighed heavily on the young teenager.
On the morning of October 9, Robert had decided to stay home from school.
He had no clean clothes, and the normal routine that sustained the Florence household had collapsed under the weight of small but cumulative hardships.
Kurtis had just returned from dropping off their other brother when he heard the wailing of sirens and the frantic knocking of police at his apartment door.
“My mom wasn’t the type to go off the rail,” he said, struggling to process the surreal scene.
Noting that his mother had immediately called 911, Kurtis added, “I’m convinced that it was an accident and that it wasn’t intentional.”
Police investigations later revealed a troubling pattern in the household.
Detectives learned that earlier this year, Tesha Florence had allegedly threatened her ex-husband and his girlfriend with a gun.
The incident in March 2024 had not been reported at the time, and Kurtis said he had no first-hand knowledge of it.
Authorities booked Tesha into Sedgwick County Jail at 4:34 p.m. on the day of the shooting.
She faced two counts of aggravated assault and one count of aggravated battery, with a professional surety bond set at one million dollars.
Following Robert’s death, charges were elevated to include second-degree murder.
The legal process began swiftly, with Tesha scheduled to appear before Judge Shawn Elliott on October 15.
For Kurtis, the grief of losing his youngest brother was compounded by upheaval in his own life.
Since the shooting, he had been forced out of his apartment and found himself living in a hotel, grappling with immense loss while trying to maintain family cohesion.
Despite the overwhelming sadness, Kurtis expressed determination to support his mother.
“My mom raised smart, strong Black men. She let us know who we are,” he said.
“I’ve always tried to be strong for my mom.”
He also created a GoFundMe page to raise funds for Robert’s burial, describing him as “a cherished son, sibling, and friend, who touched the lives of so many with his kindness, humor, and generous spirit.”
“We are devastated by this loss and are trying to navigate life without him,” Kurtis added in his post.
Robert’s story is a stark reminder of the fragility of life and the unforeseen moments that can alter families forever.
His brother’s words paint a picture of a young man who, despite hardships, embodied love, honesty, and compassion.
Though Robert is gone, his memory remains in the hearts of those who knew him, a testament to the impact of a life lived with care and authenticity.
The Florence family now faces the daunting path of grief, justice, and understanding.
Yet through the tears and turmoil, Kurtis’s resolve to honor his brother and stand by his mother speaks to the strength that family bonds can provide, even in the darkest of times.
In the end, Robert’s life, though tragically cut short, left an indelible mark on everyone who knew him.
His kindness, his honesty, and the love he showed will continue to ripple outward, a reminder that even in tragedy, the human spirit can shine.