A Florida man fatally shot his own brother during a heated exchange over a car before turning the gun on himself to avoid spending the rest of his life behind bars, their mother — who witnessed her sons’ violent deaths — told authorities.
Anthony and Robert Coyle got into a fiery spat at their Spring Hill home on Nov. 29 when Robert accused his 39-year-old sibling of using his car too much, according to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office.
The deadly sibling rivalry, which unfolded in front of their mother, escalated when Anthony grabbed a gun and shot his brother dead, the sheriff’s office said.
Police responded to the home after the gunman called 911 to report the killing, explaining that he placed the murder weapon in a bedroom and would wait outside the home for deputies to arrive, cops said.
Instead, Anthony turned the gun on himself after telling his mother he didn’t want to spend his life in prison for the fratricide, according to the sheriff’s office.
Both men were pronounced dead at the scene.
Police ruled the incident a murder-suicide.