A Mississippi teenager has been sentenced to life in prison after a violent family tragedy that left her mother dead and her stepfather narrowly surviving a second attack.
Authorities say Carly Gregg, who was 14 at the time of the incident, carried out the attack inside her family home after her mother confronted her about alleged drug use.
According to court records, the confrontation began when the mother searched her daughter’s room after learning she may have been vaping cannabis at school. Moments later, prosecutors say the situation escalated into deadly violence.
Investigators said Gregg retrieved a .357 Magnum handgun from under a mattress and shot her mother multiple times at close range, killing her inside the home.
In an attempt to conceal what happened, she then allegedly used her mother’s phone to text her stepfather: “Are you almost home, honey?”
When the stepfather arrived, prosecutors say Gregg tried to shoot him as well. He was struck in the shoulder but managed to fight back and disarm her, preventing a second killing.
Authorities described the case as one of the most disturbing juvenile violence incidents in the state in recent years.
Gregg was arrested shortly after the incident and later convicted in 2024. She received two life sentences without the possibility of parole.
The case has drawn widespread attention due to the age of the defendant and the severity of the attack, as well as ongoing debates about juvenile sentencing and mental health intervention in violent crimes.
Officials have not released further details about what may have led to the escalation beyond the initial confrontation