WATERTOWN, Conn. — The mother of two teens who were shot and killed by her boyfriend in 2019 is now facing charges.
Police say 41-year-old Danielle Jette was charged on Wednesday with criminally negligent storage of a firearm, risk of injury to a minor, and criminal liability for the acts of another/criminal possession of a firearm.
The shooting unfolded in December 2019 after a reported domestic dispute over Jette's boyfriend smoking cigarettes in the home, police said.
Jette in an interview with police reported that her daughter 15-year-old Della took issue with the smoke. The two were discussing the issue after the daughter got home from a field trip that evening, police said.
Jette's boyfriend Paul Ferguson was reportedly in the basement, watching TV with her son Sterling, 15, when he overheard the conversation. Ferguson then went upstairs and told the daughter to 'quiet down' and to not talk to her mother 'that way', according to police.
After an exchange back and forth, police said Ferguson went back to the bedroom, retrieved the gun, and came back. Sterling came up upstairs to interceded, and police said that's when Ferguson shot him in the leg.
Danielle Jette ran downstairs to find a phone to dial 911, police report. While down there, she heard a gunshot that was Ferguson shooting Della out on the deck in the chest, police said. The second shot came when Ferguson reportedly shot Sterling in the chest inside the home.
Police said following the double shooting, Ferguson went to the bedroom and shot himself.
Sterling was able to communicate to Danielle, briefly, and then she went out to perform CPR on her daughter, police said.
When first responders arrived on the scene, they began first aid on the victims, but police said their wounds were too serious.
Police said Ferguson was a felon, convicted on unlawful restraint charges. He was not eligible for a gun. The gun used in the shooting was in a safe in the master bedroom, and he had access to it.
Danielle and Ferguson were in a two-year relationship and had only just moved into the home two weeks prior, according to police.
Police said when they receive a call that a person is armed in a home that shot someone, they have to assume they will engage with police. A perimeter was set up around the house before they entered. They cleared each room before finding Ferguson dead in the bedroom, according to police.
Danielle was released on a promise to appear in court on March 16.
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.