Deputies: 14-year-old arrested, accused of shooting man trying to buy marijuana
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - A 14-year-old was arrested in a shooting that injured a man who was trying to buy marijuana at a DeBary home, according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies said the teen is charged with attempted murder with a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm by a juvenile and violation of juvenile probation that he received from a previous charge in February.
The shooting happened at around noon on Thursday at a home on Estrella Road.
Investigators say the 20-year-old man told deputies that he was shot after he tried to buy marijuana from an unknown person.
Officials said the 20-year-old suffered a non-life-threatening wound to his right calf and is expected to be OK.
The sheriff's office said after the shooting, the victim described a silver Chevrolet Silverado that the 14-year-old was riding in.
That vehicle was stopped and the teen, along with two other "male occupants," were detained, according to a news release from the sheriff's office.
Inside the home where the shooting took place, deputies found a "drum magazine and several rounds of ammunition, along with some marijuana plants."
Officials said a 9mm shell casing was found on the front porch where the victim said the teen was standing when he shot him, according to investigators.
The sheriff's office said the 14-year-old was taken into custody and transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice, where he was being held in secure custody.
"His prior charges as a juvenile include battery, criminal mischief, unlawful possession of a firearm by a juvenile, child neglect, operating a vehicle without a license and violation of probation," according to a news release.
The news release also spoke of the teen's gun charge, stemming from a February incident.
"[The teen's] firearm charge in February stemmed from an Instagram video in which he and two other juveniles showed off multiple firearms in a message over tensions with other students at River Springs Middle School in Orange City. The charge of unlawful possession of a firearm by a juvenile is a misdemeanor, and a DJJ (Department of Juvenile Justice) assessment determined his risk to reoffend was moderate. DJJ recommended a judge place him on probation, with a curfew and an assigned 250-word essay on 'The Importance of Abiding By The Law.'"
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said in the news release that, "Our broken juvenile justice system that assigns lame essays and gives pats on the head is failing our community. It's time juveniles who want to act like adult criminals face real consequences for their actions."