Teen girl who disapproved of her mother’s relationship waited for the couple to return home only to fatally shoot them with mom’s gun before stabbing the man with a chef’s knife; charged
Florida – In a harrowing incident that has rocked Florida, a 16-year-old girl, identified as J. Egler, has been arrested and faces severe charges following the fatal shooting of her 42-year-old mother, K. McCollom, and her mother’s boyfriend, 22-year-old M. Szejnrok. The violence erupted in their home on the night of July 6, leading to a complex investigation by local authorities.
Authorities were alerted to the crime early in the morning following the incident. Officers were called to the scene after Egler made a distressing 911 call, claiming a burglary had occurred at their residence. Upon arrival, police encountered Egler outside the home, where she initially continued her claim about an intruder. However, inconsistencies in her story quickly surfaced during questioning.
Inside the home, police found signs of a struggle and a violent altercation. Both victims had suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Szejnrok was discovered in a bathroom where he had attempted to flee; he had been stabbed repeatedly before being shot again at close range. The investigation revealed that the violence was premeditated, with Egler waiting for the victims to return home before launching her attack. Detectives found the murder weapons—a .38 Special handgun and a chef’s knife—near Egler’s bedroom and in the kitchen, respectively. Bloodied footprints matching Egler’s shoes and other forensic evidence dismantled her initial burglary narrative. Confronted with this evidence, Egler confessed to the murders, detailing how the attack unfolded from the shooting to the stabbing.
The motive behind the gruesome act stemmed from deep-seated familial conflicts. According to police reports, Egler struggled with her mother’s lack of support for her transition and was also displeased with her mother’s relationship with Szejnrok, who was significantly younger. These tensions had reportedly been building over time, ultimately leading to the tragic events. In her confession, Egler revealed chilling details of the planning and execution of the murders, including her preparation by stealing the gun and ammunition from her mother’s room and staging the scene post-murder to appear like a break-in had occurred.
Following her arrest, Egler was charged with two counts of first-degree murder. The local district attorney’s office is currently reviewing the case to determine whether Egler should be tried as an adult, given the severity of the crimes. The community and the victims’ families have been left in shock and mourning. The legal proceedings are closely watched, with significant attention paid to the upcoming delinquency hearing that will decide the course of Egler’s prosecution. Authorities have expressed their commitment to ensuring justice for the victims.
