Sister Soul Food shooting: Teen charged as adult in alleged gang-related shooting outside Orlando restaurant

4 children shot near downtown Orlando restaurant

Four children were shot in broad daylight Sunday near downtown Orlando, and one remained in critical condition, authorities said. Police said the gunfire erupted after a fight involving kids outside Sister Soul Food on South Paramore Avenue. The restaurant was boarded up on Monday as officers continued searching for the shooters.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A 16-year-old has been charged as an adult in connection with a shooting earlier this year at a Central Florida restaurant that left multiple people injured, including one victim who remains in critical condition.

Cody Doggett, who was arrested in the shooting that occurred outside Sister Soul Food in Parramore in February, faces a charge of attempted second-degree murder.

The backstory:

Officers responded to reports of a shooting outside the restaurant on Feb. 15 and found four people suffering from gunshot wounds. One victim was struck in the head and remains hospitalized in critical condition.

Investigators said the violence stemmed from an allleged gang-related dispute in which multiple individuals exchanged gunfire before fleeing the area. 

A shooting investigation outside Sister Soul Food in Orlando, Feb. 15, 2026.

About a minute later, authorities said, a suspect returned and fired additional shots into a crowd that had gathered to help the wounded. 

Shooting investigation outside Sister Soul Food in Orlando, Feb. 15, 2026.

That round struck the critically injured victim, who investigators identified as a known member of an opposing gang.

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The suspect, identified as Cody Doggett, was arrested and charged with attempted second-degree murder with a firearm and is being prosecuted as an adult. Prosecutors allege Doggett carried and discharged a firearm during the incident, causing great bodily harm.

Pastor shares moments shots fired a restaurant next to church

Four children were shot Sunday afternoon during an argument at Sister Soul Food on South Paramore Avenue, according to Orlando police. A nearby church sheltered about 20 children and adults as gunfire erupted, with Pastor Lydia Collier describing panic as families scrambled for safety.

The State Attorney’s Office for the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida filed formal charges alleging Doggett "attempt[ed] to kill" a victim during the shooting and discharged a firearm in a manner that resulted in serious injury.

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Court records show Doggett was ordered transferred from juvenile detention to the Orange County Jail pending further proceedings. A judge appointed counsel and noted the jail has a designated juvenile section to house minors charged as adults.

Cody Doggett

Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing as prosecutors move forward with attempted murder charges tied to the February shooting.