Marie Moore Shoots Son And Self At Florida Gun Range, Crime Caught On Video

Marie Moore, a 44-year-old mom from central Florida, shot her son and then herself while the two were out at a local shooting range, “Shoot Straight.” The murder-suicide was caught on video by a nearby security camera.

In a suicide note to her boyfriend, Moore somewhat explains the motivation behind her crime, writing: ”I’m so sorry. I had to send my son to heaven and myself to Hell.”

She signed the note “Failed Queen.”

Security footage from the gun range shows Moore’s 20-year-old son, Mitchel, taking aim at a target while his mother steps behind him and shoots him in the back of the head. A man in the next booth is then seen scrambling for help as Mitchel collapses to the ground. Moore then placed the gun into her own mouth and pulled the trigger.

Footage from earlier in the day shows mother and son taking turns shooting and having a good time, even conversing with other customers at the range.

Mitchel’s father, Charles, says Marie had a history of mental illness. She had previously attempted suicide and was involuntarily admitted to a mental hospital in 2002. She had also, he says, been barred from that very shooting range seven years before.

The shooting range’s manager, Larry Anderson, says he had no way of knowing this. While the range does require customers to fill out a form with several questions - including whether they have a history of mental illness - there is no way to immediately verify the information.

“If someone acts right, we have to assume they are right,” explained Anderson.

Click for Photos of Marie & Mitchel

Video shows Fla. woman aiming gun at son’s head [AP]