On December 12, 2023, 8-year-old Leland Briner was fatally shot by his mother, Naomi Briner (age 35), at their home on Telegraph Hill Road in rural Jefferson County, Indiana. The mother also shot and killed Leland's siblings, Adelia (12) and Iyla (6), before setting the house on fire and fatally shooting herself. The mother committed the act while on a virtual call with the father of two of the children. Emergency personnel who responded found the house engulfed in flames; all four individuals were pronounced deceased at the scene. Autopsies confirmed all three children died of gunshot wounds, and the manner of death was ruled homicide. The Jefferson County Prosecutor concluded that Naomi Briner was solely responsible for the deaths of her three children and herself.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
The vital records document lists cause of death as "PERFORATING GUNSHOT WOUND OF HEAD" with ICD-10 code X95 (assault by other and unspecified firearm discharge). The DCS report states the children "died from gunshot wounds" and "the mother shot the children." The news article confirms "all three children sustained gunshot wounds."
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The vital records document lists the cause of death as "PERFORATING GUNSHOT WOUND OF HEAD" with manner of death "Homicide." The DCS fatality report states "the mother shot the children" and the news article confirms "all three children sustained gunshot wounds, which were contributing factors in their deaths." These constitute inflicted injuries.
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
The DCS fatality report states: "the mother shot the children, started a fire in the home, and then shot herself." The news article confirms that "the Jefferson County Coroner's Officer ruled the manner of death of the three children to be homicide" and "the manner and cause of death of Naomi Briner to be from a self-inflicted gunshot wound." The prosecutor found "Naomi Briner was responsible for the deaths of the three children and herself." This is a clear murder-suicide.
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
The DCS fatality report identifies the perpetrator as "Mother" and states "the mother shot the children, started a fire in the home, and then shot herself." The news article identifies the mother as Naomi Briner, the "biological mother of the three children," and states the prosecutor concluded "Naomi Briner was responsible for the deaths of the three children."
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
The DCS fatality report states: "Number of previous substantiated assessments for victim: 1, for the 12-year-old girl." This indicates a prior substantiated child protection assessment involving a sibling in the household.
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the text. The DCS fatality report states the mother "shot herself while on a virtual call with the father of two of the children," indicating the father witnessed or was on the call during the incident. Additionally, the mother "started a fire in the home" after shooting the children but before shooting herself, adding an arson component. The DCS report also misidentifies Leland Briner's sex as female, with a footnote acknowledging "sex is reported incorrectly vs. what is available through the medical examiner report." Furthermore, the DCS report notes that the perpetrator mother had "0" prior substantiated assessments despite a prior substantiated assessment existing for the 12-year-old sibling, raising questions about the nature of that prior assessment.
These fields were populated by an AI model and may contain inaccuracies. Review the links and PDFs provided for verification before citing. Contact [email protected] to report any inaccuracies where corrections are needed.