Teen arrested in Lady Lake after shooting outside restaurant, police say

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Published  September 18, 2024 11:36pm EDT
FOX 35 Orlando
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Teen arrested after shooting outside restaurant: Police

A 15-year-old boy was arrested Saturday night after a shooting outside a restaurant, according to Lady Lake police.

LADY LAKE, Fla. - A 15-year-old boy was arrested Saturday night after a shooting outside a restaurant, according to Lady Lake police.

FOX 35 News is not naming the teen suspect because they are a minor. Police said officers arrested the teen after a short chase with help from the Fruitland Park Police Department. 

"The officers handled it very professionally, and the gentleman was taken into custody without incident," Police Chief Steven Hunt said.

The shooting happened around 11 p.m., which is 2 hours after the restaurant located at U.S. 441 and Griffin View Drive closed, according to police. Police said the scuffle started as an argument between two groups inside the restaurant.

The police report shows the teen told officers he was with his father and a friend when he was punched in the face and followed outside. That’s when, according to the report, the teen admitted to driving his father’s car home to grab the gun.

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The report also shows the teen confessed to shooting at the people he said were assaulting his father and friend. Police said the suspect fired at least four rounds. Police said no one was shot, and restaurant staff told FOX 35 it was not damaged by the gunfire.

The suspect now faces a list of charges, including 4 counts of discharging a firearm, fleeing and eluding officers, aggravated battery, and driving without a license.

"We’re hoping this young person gets the help they need," Hunt said. "It sends a message that people need to be responsible with their firearms [and] that they need to be locked up and inaccessible to people that shouldn’t have them."

Police said the suspect did hit someone with the car while he drove away from the restaurant parking lot.

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