SEMINOLE, Fla. — Two people, including a teen, were arrested after trying to hide their involvement after accidentally shooting a teen in the face early Tuesday in Seminole, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said.
The shooting happened shortly before 12:30 a.m. at the Seminole Community Center on Ridge Road in Seminole. Deputies arrived at the scene and found a 19-year-old man who had been shot. He was rushed to the hospital and is listed in "stable" condition, according to the sheriff's office.
During the investigation, deputies said they learned the shooting victim was at the community center along with 20-year-old Hayden Fogerty and a 17-year-old. All three were smoking marijuana. Detectives said Fogerty had a gun with him and started "manipulating" it, causing it to accidentally go off, shooting the 19-year-old in the face.
Both Fogerty and the 17-year-old, who 10 Tampa Bay is not naming due to his age, later would admit to deputies they tried to hide the gun and shell casing by throwing it into a nearby pond. The gun was subsequently found by the sheriff's office's dive team.
Fogerty and the 17-year-old were arrested and charged with tampering with evidence. Fogerty was taken to the Pinellas County Jail while the teen was taken to the Pinellas County Juvenile Assessment Center.