11-yr-old football player to stay in custody for 21 days after allegedly shooting teammates over bag of chips
The shocking incident reportedly happened on Monday at the Northwest Recreation Complex football field in Apopka
ORANGE COUNTY, FLORIDA: An 11-year-old boy, accused of firing shots at two 13-year-old boys, has been ordered to remain in police custody for 21 days.
The unnamed football player was expecting home detention but a judge did not approve of it and sent him to a juvenile center, TMZ reported.
He will also be reportedly put on suicide watch. It has been said that the judge’s verdict left the alleged shooter teary-eyed.
What are the allegations against the 11-year-old boy?
The shocking incident reportedly happened on Monday, October 2, at the Northwest Recreation Complex football field in Florida’s Apopka following a football practice session.
As per reports, the 11-year-old shot the teenagers, who were his teammates, after an argument “over a bag of chips.”
Later, police shared that one boy was injured in the upper body because of the gunshot while the other’s arm was wounded.
Both victims’ injuries were reportedly non-fatal and they are expected to recover soon.
The suspect was eventually charged with one count of attempted second-degree murder despite Apopka police Chief Michael McKinley saying, as per WFTV9, “I don’t think there’s a need to stack on charges on an 11-year-old child (who) has no criminal history.”
“He’s 11. He has a long life ahead of him. There’s no doubt that he can turn things around,” he added.
Witnesses say 11-year-old was bullied first
People who allegedly saw the incident unfold revealed that the suspect was first bullied before he took the extreme step.
But according to Kelvin Cobaris, a pastor, “We’ve got to teach them that conflict resolution (means you have to) sometimes walk away.”
He added, “The conflict is not so much where the kids are, because these kids were in a safe place. The conflict comes in making sure that we, at home, are instilling values.”
Besides, Apopka Pop Warner released a statement saying, “We are deeply saddened by this event and our thoughts and prayers are with the families affected.”
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“We understand that this is a difficult time for everyone involved, and we want to offer our support to those who may be struggling,” it noted.
