A 3-year-old child was critically injured after being shot inside a vehicle parked at a Burger King in Bartow, according to authorities. The shooting happened in the restaurant's parking lot, and the Polk County Sheriff's Office says it is now assisting local police in piecing together what happened.
The shooting occurred at the Burger King located at 109 E Van Fleet Dr in Bartow, according to tampabay28.com. The child suffered critical injuries from a gunshot that occurred inside a vehicle, the Polk County Sheriff's Office
said in a post on X. The Bartow Police Department is leading the investigation, with Polk County deputies providing support, as reported by
FOX 13 News
.
Sheriff Set to Address the Shooting
Sheriff Grady Judd was scheduled to brief the media on the incident at 9:30 p.m. Thursday, per the same FOX 13 News report. Authorities reported that no arrests had been made Thursday evening and that the case would be referred to the State Attorney's Office to determine whether charges would be filed.
The sheriff's office post confirming the child's critical injuries came from the department's official account, run under the handle polkcosheriff. No further information about the circumstances of the shooting, including how the gun was fired or who may have been involved, had been made public.
Investigation Remains Active
The Polk County Sheriff's Office, based in Polk County, Florida, has not yet detailed the nature of the shooting or whether it was accidental. This is a developing story, and Hoodline will update it as authorities release additional information.
