Palm Coast, Fla. (WFLA) — He was sentenced to 15 years in a 2023 fatal shooting, according to the state attorney’s office.
At a hearing Thursday, CJ Nelson Jr. was sentenced to 15 years after pleading guilty to manslaughter with a firearm in February.
On September 3, 2023, Nelson, then 21, was posing with a rifle for social media photos at his Palm Coast home.
Meanwhile, an 18-month-old toddler was playing with his mother as bullets hit her head in the hallway, killing her.
According to the state attorney’s office, Nelson was on probation at the time of the shooting and was prohibited from owning, carrying or owning a firearm.
“The mother witnessed the death of her daughter at the hands of her infant uncle and her mother’s brother,” state Attorney RJ Lariza said. “It’s hard to imagine a more heartbreaking scenario.”
Release from the state attorney’s office said the sentence was made by Judge Dawn Nichols.