Officers have arrested a 16-year-old male for an accidental shooting that injured his 7-year-old brother. The teen is charged with culpable negligence and tampering with evidence related to the incident.
On Thursday, August 7, 2025, JSO patrol officers responded to a shooting at an apartment on Lem Turner Road. They found the 7-year-old with a gunshot wound to his lower abdomen. It appears the child accidentally shot himself. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue responded and transported the child to the hospital, where he underwent surgery for his injuries which are not considered life-threatening.
JSO’s Robbery and Violent Crimes Unit detectives investigated and discovered the victim’s older brother had a firearm in his bedroom, unbeknownst to their parents. The teen fled after the shooting, and investigators determined he hid the weapon and spent shell casing. The next day, detectives arrested him on a warrant and booked him into the John E. Goode Pretrial Detention Facility (Duval County Jail).
While the investigation is ongoing, there is no evidence that the children’s parents were culpable for the shooting.
While this case is technically classified as accidental, it is anything but an accident. It was preventable and could have ended much worse.
Parents and guardians are encouraged to talk to their children about gun safety and ensure their teenagers are not bringing firearms or other dangerous items into the home. Doing so may save a life or prevent serious criminal charges.
To access the arrest report for this case, please visit the
Published Media Requests page on JSO's Public Records Portal and search "M476367" in the Reference No. section.
To view the post about this arrest on JSO's Facebook page, please
click here.
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