Who Is Sammantha Danielle Driggers? Beverly Hills FL Arrest

Sammantha Danielle Driggers is a Florida woman who was 20 years old when she was arrested in December 2022 after authorities accused her of fatally shooting her 44-year-old uncle, Matthew Charles Driggers, during a family holiday gathering in Beverly Hills, Florida. The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office charged Driggers with second-degree murder after investigators said witness accounts and evidence at the scene supported allegations that she shot her uncle once in the head. [FOX 13 Tampa Bay]

Matthew Driggers Shooting

Matthew Driggers Was Shot During Family Holiday Gathering. Citrus County deputies responded at approximately 2:45 p.m. on December 29, 2022, to a residence on North Columbus Street in Beverly Hills after receiving a report that someone had been shot. First responders found Matthew Charles Driggers suffering from a single gunshot wound to the head, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. [FOX 13 Tampa Bay]

Witness Said There Had Been No Argument Before Shooting. According to a probable-cause affidavit reviewed by Law & Crime, family member Irvanna Driggers told investigators that she had been at the gathering for approximately an hour before the shooting and had not seen anyone arguing or fighting. She said Matthew had been watching television while Sammantha was elsewhere in the house. [Law & Crime]

Witness Said Matthew Yelled “No” And “Stop” Before He Was Shot. Irvanna told investigators that she suddenly heard Matthew objecting and turned to see Sammantha pointing a firearm at him. She said she stepped between the two and attempted to calm the situation. [Law & Crime]

Driggers Allegedly Reached Around Relative And Shot Her Uncle. The affidavit alleges that despite Irvanna standing between them, Sammantha reached around her with the gun and fired, striking Matthew in the head. Irvanna then called 911 and attempted to help him. [Law & Crime]

Sammantha Driggers Statements To Police

Driggers Allegedly Told Detective, “I Shot Matt In The Head.” Investigators said Driggers made a spontaneous statement after deputies arrived acknowledging that she had shot Matthew. Police said the statement was made before investigators began a substantive interview with her. [Law & Crime]

Driggers Claimed She Thought Her Uncle Was Going To Hurt Her Grandmother. According to the affidavit, Driggers told investigators that she shot Matthew because she believed he was going to hurt her grandmother. The eyewitness account described in the affidavit conflicted with that explanation, with Irvanna telling police there had been no fight or argument before Driggers allegedly produced the gun. [Law & Crime]

Driggers Stopped Speaking After Police Read Her Miranda Rights. Law & Crime reported that after Driggers made the initial statements about shooting Matthew and protecting her grandmother, officers advised her of her rights and she declined to continue speaking with investigators. [Law & Crime]

Gun Recovery

Neighbor Allegedly Saw Driggers Carrying Gun After Shooting. A neighbor told investigators that Driggers was seen outside the residence holding a firearm after the shooting. The witness said Driggers walked up the street before returning toward the home. [Law & Crime]

Police Say Driggers Threw Gun Into Trash Can. According to the affidavit, the neighbor saw Driggers discard the firearm in a trash can. The witness retrieved the gun and kept it secured on a porch until law-enforcement officers arrived and took possession of it. [Law & Crime]

Sammantha Driggers Arrest And Charges

Driggers Arrested At Scene On Second-Degree Murder Charge. Deputies detained Driggers at the Beverly Hills residence following the shooting. She was later transported for questioning and forensic processing before being booked on a charge of second-degree murder. [WFTV]

Driggers Held On $500,000 Bond. Initial court reporting said Driggers was held in the Citrus County jail with bond set at $500,000 following her second-degree murder arrest. [R News]

Driggers Was Scheduled For January 2023 Arraignment. Initial reporting said Driggers was scheduled to appear before Circuit Judge Joel D. Fitton on January 24, 2023, for arraignment in the murder case. [Law & Crime]

Earlier Sammantha Driggers Arrest

Driggers Had Been Arrested For Probation Violation In 2021. Public Citrus County booking records show a Sammantha Danielle Driggers, then 19, was booked in September 2021 on a misdemeanor probation or community-control violation. The available record does not establish that the earlier matter was connected to the later homicide case. [Citrus County Booking Records]