Teen accused of shooting at car after trying to rob Lakeland McDonald’s employee at gunpoint

LAKELAND, Fla. - Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd wants to have a 15-year-old accused of attempted murder to be tried as an adult after deputies say he tried to rob a McDonald’s employee at gunpoint and then opened fire on a vehicle parked nearby.  

According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the employee was behind the fast food restaurant located at 1805 Shepherd Road in Lakeland shortly before 1:40 a.m. when the teen approached him with a gun. 

Deputies say the victim told two people in a vehicle parked nearby to call 911. That’s when, according to PCSO, the teen fired three shots toward the car, striking it once and fled on foot. 

None of the victims were injured in the incident. 

Deputies who created a perimeter in the area, along with a K9 unit, found the teen hiding behind bushes in a Publix shopping plaza. They say he had a Glock 9mm and a black mask on him when he was located. 

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"It’s aggravating that a 15-year-old would be out in the middle of the night robbing people at gunpoint and shooting at people. It’s completely unacceptable, so we’re going meet with the State Attorney’s Office about charging this suspect as an adult. We need juveniles to realize that we’re not going to tolerate such abhorrent, dangerous behavior," stated Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. 

The teen has been charged with attempted murder, attempted armed burglary, discharging a firearm in a public place, and possession of marijuana and paraphernalia 

The investigation is ongoing and PCSO says more charges will likely be filed.