Girl, 14, lured mum to her bedroom before shooting her dead

A 14-year-old girl meticulously lured her mother to her bedroom before committing a heinous act of shooting her twice in the head with her mother’s own gun. Carly Gregg, the teenage killer, aimed her weapon at her mum, Ashley Smylie, 40, and also tried to murder her stepfather, Heath Smylie, 39, after her mother had searched her room for marijuana. The tragic incident occurred in Brandon, Mississippi, where Ashley was a beloved maths teacher at Northwest Rankin High School, the same school attended by Gregg.

Gregg, an academically bright student, was grappling with mental health challenges and was under medication for anxiety and depression. The dreadful sequence of events unfolded on a regular school day when Ashley, Gregg, and Heath left for school and work. Upon hearing reports of her daughter smoking marijuana, Ashley confronted Gregg upon their return home. Security cameras captured the heartbreaking moment when Gregg retrieved the family’s handgun and fatally shot her mother three times, causing unimaginable grief and horror.

Subsequently, Gregg approached Heath and wounded him before he managed to disarm her and alert the authorities. The chilling events revealed that Gregg exhibited alarming behaviour post the attack, including casually texting her stepfather with deceptive words and disturbing her family and a friend with the unimaginable crime scene. Investigations later confirmed Gregg’s drug use, which further complicated the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident.

The legal proceedings saw Gregg facing charges of murder, attempted murder, and evidence tampering, with a bond set at $1 million. Despite the option of a 40-year plea deal, Gregg’s defence opted to pursue an insanity defence strategy, citing her mental health condition and the events leading up to the fatal episode. The court proceedings revealed unsettling details of Gregg’s behaviour and beliefs, shedding light on her complex mental state at the time of the crime.

Ultimately, the jury found Gregg guilty on all counts, leading to a life imprisonment sentence with additional terms for her atrocious actions. The case highlighted the fragile boundary between mental health challenges, criminal responsibility, and the devastating consequences of untreated conditions, underscoring the importance of early intervention and support systems for youth struggling with similar issues.

### Summary:
The tragic case of Carly Gregg, the 14-year-old who fatally shot her mother and attempted to kill her stepfather, sheds light on the intersection of mental health challenges, youth crime, and the criminal justice system. The harrowing events in Brandon, Mississippi, serve as a stark reminder of the complexities surrounding adolescent mental health and the imperative of timely interventions and support mechanisms to prevent such devastating outcomes. Gregg’s conviction and sentencing underscore the gravity of her actions and the importance of addressing mental health issues within the context of youth justice.