NewsCovering the Nation

Actions

17-year-old arrested for aggravated manslaughter in deadly shooting of 14-year-old in Florida

Posted at 4:44 PM, Nov 04, 2019
and last updated 2019-11-04 16:44:53-05

INDIANTOWN, Fla. -- A 17-year-old boy is under arrest after allegedly shooting and killing a 14-year-old boy in Florida on Sunday.

The Martin County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) says the incident happened inside an Indiantown home in the 14000 block of SW 172nd Avenue around 5:30 p.m.

The 17-year-old, who is not being named because of his age, is facing a charge of aggravated manslaughter of a child.

The victim has been identified by MCSO as 14-year-old Jamarion Jones, who was at a friend's home when he was shot.

According to an arrest report, the 17-year-old initially lied about his involvement in the shooting, claiming an "unknown and unseen gunman had shot Jimarion from the hallway outside of his bedroom."

However, detectives said the 17-year-old eventually changed his story and "admitted that he had accidentally shot Jimarion while 'dancing with' the gun."

The teen said he was messing around with the weapon and "ultimately his 'finger slipped' causing the gun to discharge a single round which struck Jimarion in the torso," according to the arrest report.

Jones was taken to Tradition Medical Center where he tragically died from his injuries.

A friend who was with the 17-year-old suspect at the home said "he and Jimarion asked [the suspect] to stop pointing the gun and waiving it around recklessly."

It's unclear where the weapon came from. That friend said he had never seen the gun before until the suspect "pulled it out of some unknown location in his room."

Jones attended Indiantown Middle School. School officials said there will be a team of grief counselors on hand to comfort students during this difficult time.

The Martin County Sheriff's Office and the State Attorney's Office are investigating this incident.

This story was originally published by Matt Sczesny and the staff at WPTV.