Teen Shooter Charged With Attempted Murder After FL ‘Drug Deal Gone Wrong'

PARRISH, FL — A 16-year-old boy was arrested following a shooting connected “to a drug deal gone wrong” Sunday afternoon in Parrish, according to a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office news release.

Though the sheriff’s office named the suspect, it’s Patch policy not to name minors accused of a crime unless they’ve been charged as an adult. It’s unknown whether he has been charged as a juvenile or an adult.

A 17-year-old boy and a 17-year-old girl drove to the pool in the Summerwoods subdivision, in the 11200 block of Daybreak Glen, for a drug deal around 1:30 p.m.

The 16-year-old boy who was later arrested and another girl approached their vehicle and the boy shot the driver in his left arm, the sheriff’s office said.

The suspects ran from the scene while the victims drove away and later flagged down a deputy for help.

The wounded teen was airlifted to a Tampa hospital in critical condition, the agency said. After undergoing surgery, he’s expected to make a full recovery.

Investigators found surveillance video footage of the shooting and a K9 unit was used to track the suspects. Multiple residents also called in to report two teenagers running through the neighborhood.

One resident told deputies that a suspect fitting the description was behind their house in a wooded area and had been seen throwing a backpack into the woods, the sheriff’s office said. Deputies retrieved the backpack and found a handgun and clothing that matched the suspects' initial outfits.

The K9 tracked the suspects to a nearby residence, where they found the rear sliding glass door was open.

The shooting suspect was found inside the home with a 15-year-old girl, the sheriff’s office said. Both matched the descriptions provided to detectives.

After several minutes, they surrendered to deputies and were taken into custody.

The shooter was charged with attempted murder and was brought to the Manatee County juvenile booking facility.