Miami Beach: Taniyria Holt faces manslaughter charge after shooting sister in head

June 21, 2021 – 11:28 p.m.

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – A Georgia woman now faces a manslaughter charge after her 18-year-old sister died following an accidental shooting in Miami Beach, authorities confirmed.

Taniyria Akias Holt, 24, was initially arrested June 7 on charges of culpable negligence inflicting personal injury and improper exhibition of a firearm.

The accidental shooting occurred the night of June 6 on the Julia Tuttle Causeway near Alton Road.

According to Holt’s arrest report, Holt, her sister and two other women were riding in a Jaguar SUV when Holt accidentally shot her sister, Dre’naya Ponder, in the head. Investigators believe it happened while they were filming a video for Instagram.

Police said the gun belonged to one of the other women inside the vehicle, but Holt was holding it and racked the firearm and saw a live round being ejected.

“Thinking the firearm was free of live rounds, Ms. Holt said she went to pass the firearm to her sister but accidentally shot her,” the arrest report stated.

Police said Ponder was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where she was placed on life support and later died.