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An 11-year-old Florida boy has been arrested and is now facing a second-degree attempted murder charge. According to TMZ, the child’s arrest occurred after he allegedly shot two of his football teammates Monday evening.
According to the outlet, the incident occurred Monday at the Apopka Northwest Recreation Center. The shooting reportedly took place following Pop Warner Youth football practice. An unnamed 11-year-old boy allegedly became involved in an altercation with two football teammates.
TMZ reports that the two teammates were both 13 years old. Fox 35 Orlando adds that an arrest report has revealed that the 13-year-old children allegedly bullied the 11-year-old “over a bag of chips.”
According to Apopka Police Chief Mike McKinley, the altercation “continued into the parking lot.”
“[The altercation] continued into the parking lot where this juvenile had access to a firearm in his mother’s car,” Apopka Police Chief McKinley told the press Tuesday morning.
Police Chief Mike McKinley explained that the 11-year-old allegedly “grabbed the firearm” and went “after” the two teammates. The child then “fired one shot,” which “hit both victims.”
“[He] fired one shot,” McKinley said, “and that one shot hit both victims.”
According to the outlet, the unnamed 11-year-old suspect has been charged with “one count of second-degree attempted murder.” Apopka Police Chief McKinley explained during Tuesday’s press conference that it will be “up to the courts if they want to separate those [charges],” per Fox 35 Orlando.
Additionally, Apopka Police Chief McKinley explained that the child’s parents could also face charges.
Fox 35 Orlando reports that the 11-year-old’s mother was in the driver’s seat of her car when the child retrieved the weapon by opening the front passenger door.
“It is a crime to allow your children to have access to a firearm in an unsecured box,” Apopka Police Chief McKinley explained.
Police Chief McKinley explained that “in this case, the firearm was in a box.” Additionally, the police chief explained that the box “did not have a lock on it.”
“We will be pursuing charges for that crime. It is a second-degree misdemeanor,” the police chief continued.
Before concluding his initial statements, Police Chief McKinley reiterated that “all parents” who possess firearms “have a responsibility” to make sure their weapon is “secure and not accessible to our youth.”
“Because it only takes one bad decision in a split second to ruin their lives,” he stated.
According to TMZ, one of the 13-year-olds was hit by gunfire in the arm, while the other was injured in their upper body. Fox 35 Orlando reports that both children are expected to recover fully.
During the press conference, Police Chief McKinley also shared a message for the public to “reflect” on.
“As a society, we need to reflect on this,” he explained. “We see this too often in our society now. Juveniles, young juveniles… that have access to guns, but the more disturbing part is that they believe that gun, that firearm, is a resolution to their problem. And it’s not a resolution to anybody’s problems. It just creates more problems for everybody involved.”
According to Fox 35 Orlando, the 11-year-old suspect is being held at a juvenile detention center.
