TAMPA, Fla — A 15-year-old is facing charges after police say he fired the gun that struck and injured a 9-year-old girl Tuesday night at a Tampa park.
Captain Les Richardson with the Tampa Police Department says the shooting was the result of an argument that broke out between the 15-year-old and another teen.
At around 7:14 p.m. Tuesday, witnesses told Tampa police that two boys had an argument on the basketball court near Robles Park at East Lake Avenue and North Avon Avenue. One of them went home, grabbed a gun and fired the weapon in the direction of the basketball courts, according to authorities.
The child was struck in the lower back as a result of the shooting, a spokesperson for the Tampa Police Department said. She was rushed to the hospital and remains stable.
“We’ve been fighting the violent crimes area and the violent crimes firearms for a long time here at the Tampa Police Department and we’ve put a lot of effort into it," Richardson said.
"However, when we start talking about 15-year-old juveniles and 9-year-old victims it leads to pause and we as an agency will continue to make sure that this does not happen again and do everything we can as far as our manpower is concerned," he added.
Richardson says the 15-year-old has no history with the police department and a decision on charging him as an adult in the shooting has not yet been decided.
Police say the teen's parents were "shocked" and "surprised" following the shooting and have been cooperative with investigators. It's unclear at this time how the teen got ahold of the gun, according to the police department.
The 15-year-old was taken into custody at the Hillsborough juvenile detention center and faces charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and a juvenile in possession of a firearm.
Gun violence in the Tampa area has been something police have been trying to address as shootings continue to impact communities. The Tampa Police Department has recently held forums on the topic.
“I think we all, as a society, need to find a better answer for what we’re seeing here when we’re talking about 9-year-old victims," Richardson said.
Police say the investigation is ongoing.