An Orange County teenager, whose girlfriend died of a gunshot wound Wednesday, has been accused of disposing of the firearm used in the fatal shooting as the investigation of the 17-year-old’s death continues, deputies say.
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Skyler Ley’shea Bradford died Wednesday after police found her suffering from a gunshot wound to the head at the apartment she shared with her boyfriend, 19-year-old Jehovah Mitchell.
Mitchell told police that Bradford had shot herself, though he also said he had discarded the gun she used. He was arrested Thursday on a charge of evidence tampering, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Jail records indicate he has been released.
In the apartment off Old Cheney Highway, deputies found signs of a struggle, and Bradford’s family told police Mitchell was abusive towards her. The girl’s aunt started a GoFundMe page to have her remains returned to her family in Ohio, and it states Bradford was lost “to domestic violence.” The aunt did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“The death investigation is still active and ongoing,” the sheriff’s office said Friday.
Bradford was a “beautiful, vibrant, fashionable, and outgoing” young woman, according to her aunt’s GoFunMe page.
“She had big dreams, a bright future, and so much life ahead of her,” her aunt wrote. “She was deeply loved by her family and friends, and her sudden passing has left us devastated beyond words.”
Deputies responded around 4:55 p.m. Wednesday to the couple’s apartment on the 5500 block of Old Cheney Highway and found a wounded Bradford. She later died at a hospital, the sheriff’s office said.
A neighbor told deputies he had heard a woman scream around the time of the shooting. Mitchell soon knocked on his door and said his girlfriend had shot herself. He then “dragged Bradford down the stairs” so the neighbor could perform CPR on her, according to his arrest warrant affidavit.
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The neighbor also told deputies that the couple had been loudly arguing for the past two weeks.
Mitchell told police Bradford was upset over his infidelity, and that he had let her go through his phone, which had videos of him having sex with other women. He said she then pulled a gun from her purse and started threatening him. They both grabbed the weapon, causing a shot to fire upwards, the affidavit said.
Mitchell told deputies he backed up several feet before Bradford shot herself in the head.
He then took the gun from her hand and discarded it behind the apartment building. When asked why, he said it was because he wasn’t thinking clearly. He took deputies to the place he said he discarded it, but it wasn’t found, according to the affidavit.
Mitchell then said he had seen a woman in the area — someone who had been trespassed from the apartment — and suggested that she may have taken the gun.
Bradford’s family and friends, who were not named, told deputies Mitchell was possessive and abusive towards her, and that she did not own guns. But, the affidavit said, Bradford is believed to have stolen a Glock from her mother in 2023 and given it to Mitchell, who is known to carry guns.
Deputies said the shooting appeared to take place in the apartment’s living room, which had “obvious” signs of a physical struggle, including knocked over televisions and fans. A 9mm fired cartridge casing was located and two gunshot rounds were found in the wall in different locations, the affidavit said.
One of the bullet holes was a lower trajectory and had blood near the wall. The other bullet hole was in the roof of the apartment and appeared to have toilet or tissue paper stuck in the hole, according to the affidavit.
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