A Florida man is in police custody after a violent attack on his mother and teen daughter. Michael Banks reportedly shot his mom, her friend, and his 17-year-old after he revealed his desire for an incestuous relationship with his teen.
Editor’s Note: The following text contains incidents of violence, abuse, and parental abuse that may be triggering. For more information on how to report child abuse and neglect in your state, visit the Child Welfare Information Gateway or call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1.800.422.4453.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, Banks told local police that he wrote a letter to his daughter “insisting she enter into a relationship with him and not date anyone else.” Last Wednesday, the 42-year-old shot his 60-year-old mother and her 52-year-old friend, Josephine Muentes, inside a home, per police.
The Florida man, per the affidavit, overheard his mother and her friend, Josephine Muentes, speaking about leaving with the teen. Records show the mother later told police she was talking about kicking her son out when he attacked them.
Nonetheless, their alleged discussion reportedly upset the man. He reacted by shooting both women with a handgun. Banks was reportedly aiming to kill his mother as he shot toward her head and upper torso. He shot her friend in the head first, then fired at his mother and grazed her head.
She called the police at about 12:42 p.m. local time, and authorities met the mother and the teenager outside of the home. Banks had also injured his daughter with gunfire. The daughter and her grandmother reportedly survived their wounds.
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As mentioned, Michael Banks reportedly admitted to demanding an exclusive, intimate relationship with his 17-year-old in a letter.
At the time of the first two shootings, Banks’ daughter was in the shower. When she heard the shots, she rushed to secure the bathroom door, but her father shot through it “at approximately head level,” Tampa Bay Times reports. It’s unclear how she escaped the home, but she told police the Florida man shot her as she ran away. She was struck in the leg.
When police arrived on the scene, Banks got into a shootout with cops. Bullets did not strike Banks or any officers on the scene. The blasting didn’t last long before the 42-year-old surrendered.
He faces five charges related to the shootings. They are as follows: “one count of first-degree murder with a firearm, two counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm, one count of attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer with a firearm, and one count of illegally possessing a firearm as a felon.”
In 2007, per PEOPLE, Michael Banks was convicted of aggravated battery on a pregnant woman — one of two convictions for a violent crime.
Banks was expected in court this afternoon. Check back for updates on his charges and plea.
