Daughter shows up armed at custody exchange and shoots her father, FL cops say

A custody exchange involving four children took a dangerous turn when another member of the family unexpectedly showed up and started shooting, according to investigators in Florida.

It happened just after 9 a.m. on Sunday, June 1, in the parking lot of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office administration building in Largo, which is listed as a “Safe Zone” for emotionally charged child custody exchanges.

“Rogerio Nascimento and his estranged wife arrived ... for a child custody exchange. Rogerio was accompanied by his sister, and his estranged wife was accompanied by their four minor children and a friend,” the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

“During the exchange, Rogerio, his sister, and his estranged wife were standing outside their vehicles in the parking lot, conversing. Detectives say three of the four children were reportedly hesitant to exit the vehicle.”

It was then that Nascimento’s 29-year-old daughter, Gabriella Nascimento, arrived in another vehicle to confront her father and “shot him in the back” with a semi-automatic firearm, the sheriff’s office said.

“Rogerio ran toward the front lobby of the sheriff’s administration building, and Gabriella chased after him on foot, shooting at him a second time, but missed,” officials said.

“Rogerio entered the front lobby and asked for help. Gabriella fell on the sidewalk, placed the firearm on the ground, and stood on the sidewalk near the parking lot until deputies took her into custody.”

Investigators say Rogerio Nascimento’s injuries included one bullet that “passed through his entire body.” He remained hospitalized “in critical but stable condition” as of June 3, the sheriff’s office said.

Gabriella Nascimento was charged with attempted murder in the first degree, the sheriff’s office said.

“The suspect declined an interview with law enforcement by invoking her rights. There were multiple witnesses to the shooting, who corroborated that the suspect shot the victim,” the sheriff’s office said in an affidavit.

A motive was not released. However, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri reports an argument erupted at the exchange when Rogerio Nascimento began smoking in front of a 4-year-old who has “a medical condition that is adversely affected by smoking,” according to WFLA.

“The adult daughter was just fed up with him and the way he’s acted and the way he’s treated the family, and she acted violently, which is wrong,” Gualtieri told the station.

Largo is about a 20-mile drive west from downtown Tampa.

This story was originally published June 4, 2025 at 8:24 AM with the headline "Daughter shows up armed at custody exchange and shoots her father, FL cops say."