A teenage boy was hospitalized in Jacksonville with a gunshot wound to the buttocks Saturday night after a firearm he had been handling in a back bedroom discharged when another person inside the apartment picked it up. Police say the shooting was accidental, and the teen is now cooperating with investigators.
According to Action News Jax, the teen was handling the firearm inside the apartment when he dropped it. Another person in the apartment then picked the weapon up, and it discharged, striking the boy. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was cooperating with investigators as the case unfolded, per the outlet's report.
Officers responded to a local hospital in connection with the shooting, and the station's report indicates the teen was cooperative throughout. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office's preliminary investigation found the incident to be isolated, according to the same account, though the exact circumstances that led to the second person handling the gun have not been detailed publicly.
Other Jacksonville Cases Involving Young People
Jacksonville has also had other cases involving young people injured in shootings investigated as accidental. In June, 17-year-old Mikah Howell was seriously injured in what the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office was investigating as an accidental shooting and remained in intensive care, according to a report on gmg-wjxt-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com. That outlet noted that JSO had not released additional information about Howell's case as of that report.
In August, JSO patrol officers responded to a shooting at an apartment on Lem Turner Road, where deputies found a 7-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to his lower abdomen, according to FOX 35 Orlando. Officials said the child's injuries were not life-threatening, but the boy's 16-year-old brother was arrested and charged with culpable negligence and tampering with evidence. Investigators said there was no evidence the children's parents were culpable in that shooting, FOX 35 reported.
Another Case Left a Teen With a Head Wound
A separate Jacksonville case detailed by WOKV described officers responding to the Westgate Apartments on La Ventura Drive, where they found a 15-year-old with a gunshot wound to the head. Police said that teenager suffered life-threatening injuries, and personnel with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department were credited with saving his life before he was transported to a hospital, according to the outlet.
Investigators told WOKV that preliminary information indicated the teen had been handling a gun when it discharged, striking him in the head, and that another juvenile was in the room and witnessed the shooting. Police described that incident as an apparent accident as well, though the investigation remained ongoing at the time of the report.
Investigation Continues, Tip Line Open
In Friday's case, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has asked anyone with information to come forward. The agency can be reached at 904-630-0500 or by email at [email protected], and tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.
