Boy, 16, is shot; woman accused

The teen talked about Christine Lightfoot's ex. She responded with a rifle, deputies say.

By CAMILLE C. SPENCER, Times Staff Writer
Published January 25, 2008

ADVERTISEMENT Christine Lightfoot, 35, told her son to "get the gun," deputies say.

MOON LAKE - The bullet pierced the boy's stomach and lodged between his bladder and tailbone.

The victim was a 16-year-old boy, the alleged shooter a 35-year-old woman.

The motive? Authorities say the boy, now recovering from the wound, made comments about the woman's former boyfriend. Christine Lightfoot was arrested Wednesday on a charge of aggravated battery.

Here's what happened the evening of Jan. 15, according to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office:

About 5 p.m., deputies responded to a shooting at Lightfoot's home at 11916 Boca Grande Ave.

The victim, Russell Litten of 10648 Bounty St., told authorities he was standing in the driveway of Lightfoot's home when she got upset about a remark he made about her former boyfriend.

What did the boy say?

The report doesn't say, and sheriff's spokesman Doug Tobin was unable to elaborate Thursday.

Even so, the report said, Lightfoot told her 13-year-old son to "get the gun."

Lightfoot's son retrieved a .22-caliber rifle and went into the garage with the weapon, the report said. The boy asked his mother if she meant "the .22," and she replied, "Yes."

Lightfoot pointed the rifle at Litten and fired once, hitting him in the stomach, the report said.

He ran to his home a few blocks away.

Lightfoot's son said, "You shot him," and she replied, "I know," the report said.

At the scene, Litten told a deputy, relatives and a nurse that Lightfoot was the shooter.

He was flown to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg. The bullet is still lodged in his body.

Tobin said it took authorities a few days to find Lightfoot. But when they caught up with her, she told a detective she was in the garage when the shooting occurred. Lightfoot said she threw the rifle down on a work bench and heard the sound of a shot fired as she looked away.

Lightfoot was arrested Wednesday and taken to the Land O'Lakes jail. She was released Thursday on $10,000 bail.

Prior to last week's shooting, Lightfoot had no major charges, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Lightfoot flatly denied shooting Litten, according to the sheriff's report.

But Deputy Pete Frederico wrote that Lightfoot said "she also told the victim that she would shoot him if he mentioned 'Scooter' again."

Camille C. Spencer can be reached at cspencer@sptimes.com or 727 869-6229.

[Last modified January 24, 2008, 21:56:32]