Mom Tried To Drown Her 3 Kids At Community Pool: Hillsborough County Sheriff

VALRICO, FL — A mother was arrested after trying to drown her three children, all 3 years old and under, at a community pool, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Deputies responded to a call at a community pool on Sacramento Street in Valrico on Wednesday around 1:30 a.m.

They found Shaniece Willingham, 24, on the pool deck, the sheriff’s office said.

At that point, family members had already intervened, pulling the children — ages 8 months, 2 years and 3 years — from the water and taking them to a nearby home, the agency said.

Investigators learned that Willingham left her parents’ home with the children after an argument.

Not long after this, she began posting stories to Instagram about plans to harm herself and her children, the sheriff’s office said.

Family members, alerted by the videos, rushed to the pool. They saw Willingham throw the children in the water before jumping in and holding them under, the sheriff’s office said.

Her family intervened and removed everyone from the pool.

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue responded and evaluated the children, who showed no significant injuries. Willingham was taken into custody.

“This incident is nothing short of horrific," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "The fear and betrayal these innocent children must have felt, at the hands of the one person meant to love, care for, and protect them, is unimaginable. This decision was not a cry for help, it was a deliberate act of cruelty. Mental health challenges may provide an explanation, but there is no excuse, no justification. These children were failed by their own mother, and it is only by the quick actions of their family that they are alive today.”

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