16-year-old shot dead when teen picks up gun while ‘play fighting,’ Florida cops say
An accidental gunshot killed a 16-year-old boy as he played with another teen in a Florida apartment, police said.
On Jan. 30, two 16-year-old boys were at an apartment where one of the boys lived and were “play fighting,” Clearwater Police said in a Feb. 1 news release.
McClatchy News is not naming the teens due to their age.
Unidentified witnesses told police one of the teens picked up a gun as they tussled, police said.
During the “physical exchange,” the gun went off and the other 16-year-old boy was hit, police said.
The teen later died, according to the release.
The other 16-year-old was charged with manslaughter and violation of probation, police said.
“Detectives continue to investigate the case. It is possible that additional charges may be forthcoming,” police said.
Clearwater is about 20 miles west of Tampa.
This story was originally published February 1, 2024 at 2:55 PM with the headline "16-year-old shot dead when teen picks up gun while ‘play fighting,’ Florida cops say."
