Miami, FL — Giselle Rengifo, a 17-year old girl from Florida, has been killed in a shooting at a rented Airbnb in Miami. The suspect, her 17-year old friend named Michael McGowan, has been charged with manslaughter but he claims that the shooting was an accident.
Police responded to an Airbnb in Miami on May 18th where they found Rengifo dead at the scene after being shot in the head.
The suspect, as well as three other witnesses, claim that McGowan was holding the gun when it accidentally discharged, hitting Rengifo.
However, the victim’s family believes it was not an accident, saying McGowan was showing off his gun on social media.
Rengifo’s sister, singer Salomé, also known as Betty Idol, shared the story of the incident, along with a photo of her sister, on her Instagram account. She said her sister was hanging out with her friends when she was shot and killed “by a person she called a ‘friend.’ ”
She also called for justice for her sister, saying the suspect should have been charged with capital murder instead of manslaughter.
“Please help me spread light about my sister’s case! The Miami Police aren’t doing anything and they’re trying to let the person who killed my 17 year old sister get away with it,” she wrote.
Meanwhile, the location of the shooting was also in question as short-term rentals like Airbnb were banned during the coronavirus pandemic. But Rengifo’s mother, Christine Rengifo, said her daughter was really at a rented Airbnb, even though she thought she was at a friend’s house before.
She said she let her daughter spend time with her friends since she had been isolated since the stay-at-home orders. She said her daughter also assured her that she’s safe because she used disinfectant. But she didn’t know she wasn’t safe from a gunshot.
“She was a beautiful person. She had a beautiful soul. Why did they take her? Please ask him, ‘Why did he take her from me?'” she told Local 10.