Cops: Teen dies after accidentally shooting self in face at library

Police say victim, 16, has died after Orange City shooting

ORANGE CITY, Fla. – Orange City police say the teenager who accidentally shot himself in the face inside a Central Florida library Thursday afternoon has died on Friday.

The shooting happened in Orange City at Dickinson Memorial Library on Albertus Way.

Orange City police said the 16-year-old victim accidentally shot himself in the eye with a stolen gun that he apparently found Wednesday night. He was rushed to Halifax Health Trauma Center and was listed in stable condition. Police told Local 6 he died Friday afternoon.

Police have not identified the teen, only saying he's a freshman at University High School in Orange City and was with two other students, 16- and 19-year-old boys, when the gun went off.

Police said the gun was stolen 10 years ago out of Deltona and they're not sure how the teen got the gun. The shooting happened around 3:45 p.m. Thursday after the victim pulled the revolver out of his backpack in the back of the library, away from other people.

"He took the gun out and might have been looking at it or showing it and somehow it discharged, striking him in the face," said Orange City police Detective Ken Jones.

Police said his friends were traumatized, but later told detectives the 16-year-old found the .38-caliber gun Wednesday night. Police are not sure where it was found, or if he had the gun at school, but they do know it was reported stolen 10 years ago in Volusia County.

"He is stable now, but then you don't really know if he's going to survive or not," said Katrina Andrews.

Cassandra Andrews, also a junior at University High said, "Yeah, it's, like, kind of scary.  You never think you would get shot in a library."

According to a sign on the door, the library is closed until Monday. Meantime, police are trying to track down the gun's original owner, but they are not aware of it being linked to any other incidents during the 10 years since it was stolen.

While police say they are confident this was an accidental shooting, they say it is too early in their investigation to determine whether any charges will be filed.