Florida police say an 11-year-old fired a gun, wounding two 13-year-olds after football practice. The dispute began over a bag of chips.
The three young men were in Apopka, Florida, on a Monday night for Pop Warner practice at the local leisure complex. According to witnesses, after an argument over the chips, the bigger kids reportedly chased and attacked the 11-year-old.
Surveillance footage, as reported by the police, showed the older children following the 11-year-old in the direction of his mother’s car. The youngster reached into the SUV, where his mother had hidden a revolver under the front seat. The 11-year-old is accused of shooting one of the 13-year-olds from behind as the older boy turns to walk away. The gunshot entered one of the teens in the back, exited, and struck the other in the elbow, according to the police.
Apopka Police Chief Michael McKinley told reporters in northwest Orlando that he didn’t understand why an 11-year-old needed to grab a gun to end a fight.
One of the 13-year-olds was lying on the ground when the cops came, and a large crowd had gathered around him. The 11-year-old was quite distraught and crying when police arrived, according to the arrest affidavit. There was a firearm found in the vehicle.
The patients were taken to the hospital, and at least one required surgery. A police representative said that one of the two people brought to the hospital has now been released. According to the police, both people were considered to have a good chance of survival.
The 11-year-old faces charges of attempted second-degree murder. According to McKinley, his mom would be facing charges from the police because she failed to secure the pistol in the vehicle properly. It was under the passenger seat in a box that wasn’t locked. Police did not disclose the identities of the youngsters or the boy’s mother.
The mother mentioned in the affidavit that she found out later that the older boys had struck her kid and knocked a bag of chips out of his hands.
McKinley said what’s most distressing is that kids think guns can help them solve their problems.
The child’s mother reportedly told authorities that she didn’t see her son reach for the gun before he opened the car door. She was waiting in the car to pick up her kids from practice when she spotted him rush over, visibly distraught. She thought he was just getting into the vehicle, the document states.
If you are a parent and you keep a gun in your vehicle or your home, you have a legal obligation to keep it locked up and out of the reach of children and young people. One incorrect choice in a split second can completely change their future.
