11-Year-Old Youth Football Player Ordered to Remain in Custody for 21 Days After Allegedly Shooting His Teammates Over Bag of Chips
A judge has ordered an 11-year-old youth football player to remain in custody for at least the next 21 days.
The young boy stands accused of shooting two of his 13-year-old teammates during a dispute that took place earlier this week at the Northwest Recreation Complex football field in Apopka, Florida, RadarOnline.com has learned.
According to TMZ, the 11-year-old had hoped for home detainment. However, the judge's ruling means he will now be forced to stay in juvenile detention for the foreseeable future.
The announcement sent the child into tears, according to eyewitnesses present at the hearing in Orange County on Wednesday morning.
As a precautionary measure, it has been reported that the young boy will be placed on suicide watch at the detention center, as stated by WFTV 9.
A security video was taken of the young boy running to a vehicle after being chased by one of his teammates. There, he retrieved a gun from the passenger-side seat. Apopka Police Chief Mike McKinley later revealed that the firearm was unsecured inside the vehicle.
The video further showed the 11-year-old walking over to the sidewalk and allegedly firing a single shot at another boy, who had his back turned and was walking away.
In a desperate attempt to intervene, a woman believed to be the boy's mother, could be seen grabbing the firearm from his grasp and reprimanding him in front of their vehicle. Meanwhile, others tried to flee the scene.
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The gunshot struck one 13-year-old boy in the torso, while another was hit in the arm. The frantic woman called 911 and reported the incident just minutes after it occurred. One of the victims was released from the hospital on the same night. The other remains in stable condition. Both are expected to survive their injuries.
Police stated that the altercation began when the two victims slapped the bag of chips out of the younger boy's hands. As a result, the 11-year-old was arrested and charged with one count of attempted second-degree murder.
Chief McKinley expressed his concern over the alleged crime at a news conference, saying that society needs to reflect on such incidents that are increasingly common. He also mentioned that the mother could face charges for leaving the gun unsecured.
During the hearing, the aunt of one of the shooting victims took the stand to express her family's concerns.
According to the report, the alleged victim's family had hoped the 11-year-old would remain in detention, further underscoring the gravity of the incident and its impact on those involved.
The details surrounding the incident itself are still the subject of an ongoing investigation, leaving many unanswered questions about what exactly transpired. Authorities are working diligently to piece together the sequence of events and understand the factors that led to this tragic incident.