Teen dies after being shot at home of Tampa police officer

LITHIA, Fla. - A 15-year-old boy died at the hospital after being shot at the home of a Tampa police officer, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

The boy is not related to the officer, whose identity was not released. The officer, an 11-year veteran of the department, was working at the time of the shooting and Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan was aware of the investigation, sheriff's office spokesperson Capt. Preston Hollis said.

Four teen boys, ages 15-16, were home at the time of the shooting, according to HCSO. One of the teens called 911 around 4 p.m. after the 15-year-old was shot in his upper body, Hollis said.

No adults were at the home at the time.

"Regardless of the outcome, this is just a tragedy because we are so close to the holidays and now, we have a teenager who is deceased," Hollis said.

The home is located on Bridgewalk Drive. Deputies arrived at the scene within five minutes of the 911 call, with EMS arriving soon after.

The teen who was shot was taken to Brandon Regional Hospital, where he died. The parents of all four teens had been notified.

No one was in custody immediately following the shooting. The investigation is ongoing.

Hollis said that it's critical for families to discuss gun safety.

"With guns, you always want to assume they are loaded. Always," Hollis said. "It's a really good time to talk to your children, if they come across a gun, to not handle it, and to let somebody know and just assume it's loaded." 

"It's also a good reminder to make sure that we are securing our weapons in our home," Hollis continued. "It's your right to have a gun in your home but we also need to secure that."