MARION COUNTY, Ga. -- The woman who shot her 6-month-old baby and then herself is dead after being taken off life support Tuesday morning.
Marion County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 4800 block of NW 45th Court, Ocala around 11:15 a.m. on Friday, January 4, 2013, to do a well-being check. Family members had called 911 to report Melanie Reyes, 20, had posted a statement on her Facebook page indicating she was going to shoot her child and herself. When deputies arrived, they found Reyes and her baby, Jonah Mendoza, 6 months, with gunshot wounds.
Both were transported to the hospital. The baby died from his injuries and Reyes remained in critical condition on life support until her family members chose to turn the machine off Tuesday morning.
Detectives are interviewing neighbors and family members to gather more information about what happened before the shooting. A handgun was recovered from the home and detectives are confident it was the gun used by Reyes in the shooting. No one else was at the house at the time.
