FL Man Charged With Murder In Fatal Shooting Of Teen

CLEARWATER, FL — A 19-year-old St. Petersburg man was charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy in unincorporated Clearwater on July 23, according to a Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office news release.

Deputies responded to an area of Laurel Place just after 5:30 p.m. after a 911 caller said a man had been shot and was lying on the ground.

When they responded to the scene, deputies found the teenage victim, Ahmad Albayati of Largo, in the street with a gunshot wound, the sheriff’s office said.

He was brought to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Detectives investigating the death learned that Albayati had been talking with the suspect, James Acosta, about buying a gun.

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During the interaction, Acosta shot the teen in the back and upper chest, the sheriff’s office said. He left the scene before deputies arrived.

Investigators found Acosta and took him into custody. He was charged with third-degree murder, unlawful use of a two-way communications device and furnishing a firearm to a minor.

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