A Knock, A Smile, and a Threat: How Selling Candy Nearly Cost a Black Girl Her Life

A Florida man threatened to shoot a 9-year-old girl for selling candy at his doorstep. But in the South, Black children have long faced danger simply for being visible.

Tyler Chambers (left) posted a threat toward 9-year-old Sincere (right), who was captured on his doorbell camera selling candy in their Riverview, Florida neighborhood. | Photo Courtesy of the National Black Guide

A white man who threatened to shoot a 9-year-old Black girl has since deleted his social media accounts and apologized. But for the child and her family, the damage is already done.

On April 14, 2025, Tyler Chambers of Riverview, Florida, posted doorbell camera footage of a young Black girl selling candy in his neighborhood. The child—later identified as Sincere—stood at the doorstep with her cousin, smiling, unaware that her presence would provoke a violent threat.

“You’re lucky we weren’t home to shoot your ass, dumb b–-h,” Chambers wrote in a Facebook group for residents of the Southfork community.

Sincere nor her cousin ever entered the house. She rang the bell, waited, and moved on. But Chambers’ post didn’t just suggest violence—it broadcasted it. It was the kind of declaration one makes when confident that others might agree—or at the very least, look the other way.

“You’re lucky we weren’t home to shoot your ass, dumb bitch,” Chambers wrote in a public Facebook group alongside this doorbell image. | Photo Courtesy of the National Black Guide

Not Just a Mistake — A Southern Pattern

While the Riverview threat sparked outrage, it isn’t an isolated incident. In fact, it mirrors a growing pattern across Florida and even in the South, where Black children are surveilled, harassed, and endangered for simply existing in public spaces.

In Ocala, just last year, a white couple—Daniel and Kyndall Raatz—were arrested for stalking and harassing an 11-year-old Black boy. According to police reports, the couple hurled a bag of watermelon and cotton at the boy and yelled racial slurs while displaying a gun. They also posted a neighborhood sign labeling the boy’s family “drug dealers” and “bad people.” The couple now faces hate crime charges.

Also, last year in Sarasota, a Black teenager was reportedly walking through his neighborhood in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton when white residents began questioning why he was there. One followed him for 10 minutes. Another, according to the teen’s mother, appeared to be retrieving a weapon before a neighbor intervened. The teen was simply getting air and trying to find cellphone service. The sheriff’s office announced a month later that they were closing the investigation without filing charges—leaving the teen’s family with no legal resolution.

In all three cases, the children were doing what children do. And in all three cases, white adults responded not with neighborly concern—but with suspicion and racialized threats.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Following public outrage, Chambers deleted his Facebook account and claimed the girls were acting as “decoys” for a possible break-in. No evidence supports that claim. The doorbell video instead shows two children walking to the door and politely offering candy.

In a follow-up post, Chambers claimed he believed Sincere was acting as a decoy and that others were trying to “look in or get in” his home. The doorbell footage shows no evidence of attempts to break in. | Photo Courtesy of the National Black Guide

“I want to apologize for the post made on here, it was not how it should have been handled at all,” he said in a Facebook post. “If anyone knows the parents I would like to speak with them and apologize and get the whole understanding of what was going on.”

The girl’s mother, Beyond Shabazz, told reporters she was unaware her daughter had gone out that day, as she was caring for a younger child and her own mother recovering from brain surgery. After learning about the Facebook post, she filed a police report and started a GoFundMe to pursue legal action. So far, the page has received 80% of its goal.

As of now, Chambers has not been charged.

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13 & South is a new publication covering news, investigative stories, and insights on social justice, policy, and systemic inequities impacting Southern Black communities. I value your insights, and feedback and invite your perspectives to contribute to future issues. Please feel free to contact me here or follow me on my socials! LinkedIn, Twitter, IG, BlueSky, and Threads.