Teen shot in St. Pete, taken to hospital with critical injuries

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A 14-year-old boy is in the hospital after being shot in St. Petersburg, police confirmed Thursday afternoon.

Officers responded around 3:45 p.m. off 20th Avenue South near 44th Street South.

"He was fired at from another group that was here in the area in the neighborhood. They fired several times. He was struck, and he was able to make it to safety to a neighbor’s house and call for help," said Yolanda Fernandez, a spokesperson with the St. Petersburg Police Department. 

The boy was taken to Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, where he's listed in critical but stable condition.

"I came home to the street being blocked off and the police and my grandson upset and crying," said Sena Williams, the homeowner of the house the 14-year-old went to for help.

She said her 16-year-old grandson was outside her home on 44th Street South when shots were fired, adding her grandson and the 14-year-old were in her yard with other children at the time.

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"They were trying to run in my house to get away from the gunfire, and that’s when the little boy found out he was actually hit by one of the bullets," said Williams.

As St. Pete detectives placed evidence markers down, they are working to pick up clues on who would shoot at kids in the middle of the afternoon.

"We’ve had situations now, especially this summer where we’ve had shots fired, and sometimes we know they are teens that are firing the shots," said Fernandez.

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The violence happened in what neighbors call a quiet part of St. Pete.

"That’s the only thing I want to ask. Why? It don’t make any sense," said Williams. "It’s very scary because it happened at my house, and it happened to my grandson. It’s just for why, he doesn’t know who it is. All the kids that were there were younger than him, 14 years old, so he didn’t know why someone would be shooting at them."

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the St. Petersburg Police Department or text SPPD along with your tip to TIP411.

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