Life

11-Year-Old Florida Youth Football Player Arrested After Allegedly Shooting 2 Teammates (UPDATE)

Police have released surveillance video of the incident, where an 11-year-old is accused of shooting two 13-year-olds following football practice.

UPDATED 10/4, 6:45 p.m. ET: A judge has ruled that the Florida boy will be held in juvenile detention for at least the next 3 weeks, per TMZ. The decision was made during a hearing on Wednesday.

"All he’s saying is, ‘I want to go home,’” attorney Robert Mandell said, according to WFTV. “There has to be a better way to address situations like this than keeping an 11-year-old in jail, in a padded room, who’s on suicide watch, who hasn’t spent a night away from his mother in his whole life.”

However, Mandell contended that his client's age prevents him from understanding the seriousness of his actions and being detained for an extended period. He proposed to the judge that the boy should be permitted to reside with his grandparents temporarily.

See original story below.

An 11-year-old Florida boy has been arrested after he was accused of shooting two 13-year-olds following their youth football practice.

As reported by NBC News, the incident occurred Monday night at the Northwest Recreation Complex in Apopka, Florida, which is about 30 miles northwest of Orlando.

On Tuesday, police released surveillance video of the incident. The 11-year-old was detained and charged with second-degree attempted murder.

According to law enforcement, the shooting, which took place around 8 p.m., stemmed from an argument and physical fight that took place between the three boys during practice.

The 11-year-old allegedly grabbed a gun out of his mother's SUV, ran toward his teammates, and fired one shot, hitting one boy in the arm and another in the back. Both children were transported to the hospital, where one underwent surgery and is said to be in stable condition. They are each expected to make a full recovery.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Apopka Police Chief Mike McKinley expressed his disdain for the country's sad reality when it comes to gun violence.

"We shouldn't have 11-year-olds that have access to guns and think they can resolve a dispute with a firearm," McKinley said.

He continued by urging "society" to "reflect on this."

"We see this way too often in our society now of juveniles—young juveniles, and they're getting younger every day—that have access to guns," McKinley said. "But the more disturbing part is they believe that gun, that firearm, is a resolution to their problems—and it's not a resolution to anybody's problems."

Related Stories

Crowd Flees As 3 People Are Shot At Televised High School Football Game
life

Three Wounded in Shooting Outside HS Football Game

Video shows spectators fleeing the stadium as gunfire erupts. Authorities say they've yet to make any arrests in connection to the shooting.

Joshua Espinoza1305 days ago
Oxford HS shooting victim, Tate Myre
sports

Oxford Football Player Reportedly Killed While Trying to Disarm School Shooter

Tens of thousands have signed a petition calling on school officials to rename Oxford High School's stadium after 16-year-old shooting victim Tate Myre.

Joshua Espinoza1616 days ago
sports

Aqib Talib's Brother Yaqub Sentenced to 37 Years for Fatally Shooting Youth Football Coach

Yaqub Talib on Monday pleaded guilty to the murder of youth football coach Michael Hickmon.

Brad Callas1002 days ago

Stay ahead on Exclusives

Download the Complex App