An 18-year-old man is wanted by St. Petersburg police after allegedly shooting his 34-year-old stepfather during an argument at a home on Cherry Street Northeast, leaving the older man with serious injuries and sparking an active manhunt.
Officers were called to the home on Cherry Street Northeast after the argument between the two escalated into gunfire, according to WFLA. Police said the teen shot his stepfather and then left the scene before officers arrived, prompting an immediate search for him. The stepfather was transported to Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital, which the station notes is the only state-accredited Level II Adult Trauma Center in Pinellas County, a 480-bed facility that treats roughly 2,500 trauma patients a year, according to Orlando Health.
Investigators have not said what sparked the argument between the stepson and stepfather, and it remains unclear whether anyone else was present inside the home when the shooting occurred, per the report. Police have not released identifying information about either the suspect or the victim.
A Neighborhood of Quiet Streets Near Downtown
Cherry Street NE runs through established residential pockets in St. Petersburg's northeast section, including the Snell Shores Manor and Historic Old Northeast neighborhoods, an area made up largely of single-family homes situated north of downtown, according to Realtor.com. The setting stands in contrast to the violence that unfolded there, underscoring how domestic disputes can erupt even in traditionally quiet residential blocks.
Under Florida Statute § 741.28, domestic violence is defined as any assault, battery, or criminal offense resulting in physical injury committed by one family or household member against another who resides or has resided in the same home, according to the Florida Legislature. That classification governs how the dispute between the stepson and stepfather is likely to be treated once the suspect is located.
Mandatory Minimums Loom If Suspect Is Charged
Should the 18-year-old be captured and charged, Florida's so-called 10-20-Life law under Statute § 775.087 imposes a 20-year mandatory minimum prison sentence for discharging a firearm during an aggravated felony, rising to 25 years to life if the shooting caused great bodily harm, per the Florida Legislature. Separately, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon causing great bodily harm is classified as a second-degree felony under Florida Statute § 784.045, carrying a statutory maximum of 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, the Legislature notes, though the firearm enhancement would apply on top of that baseline if a gun was discharged.
Isolated Violence Amid a Broader Decline
The shooting comes even as St. Petersburg has seen its overall violent crime numbers fall sharply. The St. Petersburg Police Department reported that citywide crime dropped 16% in 2025, with homicides falling to just 10 for the year — the lowest annual total the city has recorded since 1967, according to the St. Petersburg Police Department. Officials have credited specialized gun response teams and crime-fighting technology for the decline, even as isolated domestic incidents like this one continue to test the department's resources.
A 2018 study by University of South Florida St. Petersburg researchers, conducted in partnership with Community Action Stops Abuse, estimated that domestic violence costs Pinellas County roughly $132 million annually in direct medical expenses, police resources, court processing, and lost economic productivity. The department, which operates with 602 sworn officers and 307 civilian personnel under Chief Anthony Holloway, continues to respond to cases spanning both public shootings and private household violence.
Anyone with information on the suspect's whereabouts is asked to contact the St. Petersburg Police Department through its anonymous Tip411 system by texting SPPD along with details to 847411 or submitting information online. The search for the 18-year-old remains active as of Sunday.
