An 11-year-old boy is recovering after authorities say he was shot on the afternoon of October 14 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Officers report the shooting took place at a residence on Divison Avenue where nine children were left completely unsupervised. Sure, what could go wrong?
On Wednesday, the West Palm Beach Police Department released a 911 recording where it was the victim’s brother who pleaded with dispatchers for help.
“Somebody was playing with a gun and he got grazed…He’s okay. He’s just bleeding. He got grazed, nothing major he just needs an ambulance please,” said the caller.
Officers were dispatched immediately by the 911 operator who was stunned to hear the victim was only 11 years old.
Some neighbors were shocked to find out the incident not only occurred in a home where so many children were left with no adult supervision but that it was sparked by a 12-year-old who had brought a pair of guns to the home that day with the intent to sell them to two other boys. Other neighbors were not so alarmed.
“No it don’t surprise me because I was raised up around here,” a neighbor told WPEC.
West Palm Beach Police Spokesperson, Mike Jachles, reported that officers arrested the 12-year-old who brought the two guns to the house, adding that neither he nor the two other boys were the shooter, nor were they residents of the home where the shooting occurred.
“The moral of the story here is—kids and guns; a dangerous combination,” said Jachles.
The 11-year-old was transported to a local hospital with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to his leg. The West Palm Beach Police Department was able to recover one gun, which was found at the 12-year-old boy’s home.
According to police, the 12-year-old is the only person charged at this time. He is facing two counts of possession of a concealed weapon and has been transferred to a Juvenile Assessment Center. The case is being presented to the State Attorney. Since I know the issue of adult culpability is likely on your minds as well, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) is currently investigating.
This incident highlights just how much can go wrong when children, lack of supervision and firearms mix, even though it should go without saying. There have been 19 unintentional shootings involving children, which have resulted in eight deaths across Florida this year. Nationwide, there have been 200 accidental child-related shootings causing 74 deaths and 128 injuries, including this one in West Palm Beach. It is important to note that many of these incidents occur in areas where crime is highly prevalent and people are already generally up to no good.
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