A 16-year-old has died after he and another teen took turns firing guns at each other while wearing body armor.
According to police in Florida, the shooter and another teen have been arrested in connection with the death.
Joshua Vining and Colton Whitler, both 17, were arrested this past Thursday, the Belleview Police Department said in a press release posted to Facebook.
Vining was arrested on suspicion of aggravated manslaughter of a child with a firearm, and Whitler was arrested on providing false information to law enforcement. Police say both teens are being charged as adults.
Police said that they received a call about a shooting around 7 p.m. on April 3. And when they arrived at the home, they discovered Christopher Leroy Broad Jr. had been shot inside it. He was taken to the hospital and unfortunately died as a result of his injuries.
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“Over the last several days, BPD lead detective Sergeant Michael Miley investigated this case, and discovered evidence to prove that Vining shot and killed Broad,” the Police Department said in a statement.
“Through the investigation, it was determined that Vining and Broad were taking turns shooting at each other while wearing a vest which contained a form of body armor. Vining shot at Broad while he was wearing the vest and he was struck. Whitler, who was initially interviewed as a witness to the shooting, misled officials with inaccurate information about what took place and who shot Broad.”
The shooting was captured on a cellphone video by an 18-year-old who was also at the home at the time. The clip reportedly showed Vining holding a bulletproof vest and a 9 mm gun up to the camera and asking if they “had ever seen anyone get shot with a bulletproof vest on,” according to affidavits obtained by Click Orlando.
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At one point in the video, Vining shoots Broad, who is wearing the vest. Broad then nods, and Vining goes on to shoot him four more times, according to the affidavits.
Many were quick to send their condolences to the late boy, with one user saying: “This is so terrible and so so sad to see in the news. With all the school shootings in the past and all the shootings that take place in today’s world, you would think that kids would steer clear of playing games with guns. Parents should have guns locked up and all children of parents who have guns at home should be taught gun safety.”
While another commented: “…the parents should be charged. And any other children they have should be taken away. Before something happens to them. Know where your children are at and what they are doing. They should have been taught by now about guns by the parents.”
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