Boy ran to mother’s car, grabbed gun and shot 2 teens, police say

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – An 11-year-old boy arrested on an attempted murder charge in a shooting at a Pop Warner practice in Apopka is set to appear in court on Wednesday.

Two 13-year-olds were injured in the shooting Monday. Surveillance video of the incident shows the boy running to his mother’s car in the parking lot near the Northwest Recreation Center, where he was chased by a 13-year-old boy, police said.

After retrieving a firearm from the vehicle, the boy can then be seen running back out and firing one round from the gun. The 13-year-old who was chasing him and another boy were struck by the bullet as they tried to run away, police said.

According to a charging affidavit, some witnesses said the three boys had been physically fighting over a bag of chips. Other witnesses said the 11-year-old was being bullied, an arrest report states.

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The 11-year-old was booked in the Juvenile Assessment Center.

“When I interacted with him, he was very quiet, very shy, didn’t really say a whole lot when I was around,” Apopka Police Chief Mike McKinley said during a news conference. “So I really didn’t discuss whether he was remorseful or not, but I know that he was very quiet. He looked very somber.”

Pop Warner is a nonprofit group aimed at providing youth football, cheerleading and dance to local communities, according to the group’s website.

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About the Author:

Brenda Argueta is a digital journalist who joined ClickOrlando.com in March 2021. She graduated from UCF and returned to Central Florida after working in Colorado.