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Pinellas Park teen arrested for accidentally shooting 13-year-old, police say

By and FOX 13 News Staff
Published  July 15, 2024 10:05am EDT
Pinellas Park
FOX 13 News

Teen charged in accidental shooting of friend

Pinellas Park police say a 13-year-old accidentally shot his friend with a stolen gun. The victim is recovering in the hospital.

PINELLAS PARK, Fla. - A 13-year-old accidentally shot his friend while playing with a gun on Sunday afternoon, according to officials.

The Pinellas Park Police Department says the teen boy was at his home located in the 11600 block of 59th Street while his friend, another 13-year-old boy, was playing video games. The teen suspect found a Glock 44 .22 caliber handgun in a room that was being rented out, according to investigators.

Police say he was not allowed to be in the room but went inside anyway, stole the gun and hid it in his room.

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While the two boys played video games, the child who stole the gun started waving it around and playing with it, according to law enforcement. 

Authorities say the gun accidentally went off and hit the other child in the torso. After the shooting, the 13-year-old who shot his friend tried to get rid of the gun by throwing it over a fence, according to investigators.

Police say they found the gun. A spokesperson for PPPD says it’s unclear right now if the room was locked or if the gun was in a secure place.

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The victim was initially identified as a 12-year-old boy, but police have since learned he is 13 years old. He is in stable condition at the hospital, according to the police department.

Authorities say the 13-year-old suspect was arrested and charged with the following:

  • Armed burglary
  • Grand theft of a firearm
  • Possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony

Officials did not release the name of the suspect or victim due to their ages.

The Pinellas Park Police Department reminds the community to secure their guns.

"We come across juveniles with weapons periodically, and that's not a safe aspect," Lieutenant John Shea with PPPD said. "So, again, we remind everybody, lock your weapons up. Keep away from these kids who are burglarizing vehicles, things like that, or entering homes where friends are and ultimately taking somebody's weapon, because then they get passed around between kids in in our schools and on our streets."

According to Shea, police don’t anticipate any charges against the gun owner in this case. 

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