Police: 16-year-old arrested in gang-related mass shooting in downtown Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Orlando Police Department has released new details into the February 2026 shooting outside a popular Parramore restaurant that left four people hurt. Police said the shooting appeared to be the result of a fight between rival gang members, and announced the arrest of a 16-year-old teen.

Police said rival gang members got into a fight outside the Sister Soul Food restaurant near downtown Orlando, where several people began shooting at each other before running away. Four people – all described as juveniles – were hurt, including one who was shot in the head. That boy remains hospitalized in critical condition, according to police.

Police: 16-year-old boy arrested

While people ran to help those who were hurt, police said a 16-year-old boy, identified as a rival gang member, returned to the shooting scene about a minute later and began firing into the crowd. Police said it was that shooting where one of the victims was shot in the head.

The 16-year-old was arrested Monday on one count of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm, police said. FOX 35 is not naming the boy due to his age.

Police did not identify the victim who was shot in the head, but said they were also a known gang member and part of a rival gang to the alleged shooter.

The backstory:

The shooting happened shortly after noon on Sunday, Feb. 15 on South Parramore Avenue and South Street, where people were eating lunch at Sister Soul Food, a beloved restaurant in the Parramore neighborhood. Three of the four who were shot were described to have had non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said.

The restaurant's door and windows were boarded up for a couple of days after the shooting. The restaurant has since reopened.

Family of teen shot at Orlando restaurant speaks

The family of a teenager shot over the weekend at a popular Parramore restaurant says they are praying for his recovery as police continue to search for those responsible.

Tone Frink said his cousin was one of the four kids hurt in Sunday's shooting – and that his cousin is now fighting for their life.

"I can't say we're doing OK," he told FOX 35's Marie Endinger. "We're just hoping for the best to be honest."

What he also wants is answers to understand what happened and why.

Earline Robinson, the owner of Sister Soul Food, said she started selling food out of her house during the COVID-19 pandemic, and eventually decided to open her own restaurant, bringing her home-cooked meals to a community she loves.

"We serve hot meals to kids on the city of Orlando. We serve the homeless. We serve good quality food. We do good, great business for the community. And the community love us, and we love them back," she said.

The Sunday lunch was disrupted by gunfire with people ducking for cover, bullets shattering glass, and soon, the sound of sirens in the street.

"Every now and then I break down and cry because I'm not okay mentally, knowing someone's child is fighting for their lives. That's tearing me apart right now."

The restaurant's door and windows were boarded up, but plans are in place to reopen on Wednesday, Feb. 18.

"We're gonna keep going because that's all we can do," said Dejanay Whitehead, chef at Sister Soul Food.