Public Safety

Mother of Newberry teen killed in 2024 hunting accident seeks FDLE review

Sophie Lancaster, mother of Malachi Lancaster, is calling for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to reopen the investigation into her 18-year-old son’s death during a December 2024 hunting trip along Williston Road in southwest Gainesville. Florida Fish and Wildlife investigators concluded that the rifle Malachi was carrying discharged when brush caught on the trigger, ruling the death an accident. His mother disputes those findings, saying she does not believe her son was the last person to handle the weapon.

Sources: WCJB TV20