JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A teenager was accidentally shot at a Jacksonville apartment late Saturday night, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
Officers responded to a local hospital around 10:30 p.m. after a mid-teenage male arrived with a gunshot wound to the buttocks. Police said a family member had driven the victim to the hospital, and that his injuries are considered non-life-threatening.
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Investigators say the teen was in a back bedroom of the apartment when he dropped a firearm he had been handling. Another person inside the apartment picked up the weapon and accidentally fired it, striking the teen.
The victim then contacted a family member, who drove him to the hospital. JSO’s Robbery and Violent Crime Unit detectives were actively interviewing witnesses, reviewing surveillance video and following up on investigative leads. They said the victim was cooperating and speaking with detectives.
JSO did not say which hospital its officers responded to and did not give the location of the initial incident.
Investigators do not believe the incident is domestic- or gang-related, and say it appears to be isolated with no ongoing threat to the community.
Police said it was unclear whether the victim and the person who fired the weapon knew each other.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact JSO at 904-630-0500, email JSOCRIMETIPS@JAXSHERIFF.ORG or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.