A 15-year-old boy from Fort Pierce has been arrested and faces charges of attempted murder and several other felonies after he shot two teenagers during a drug transaction on Tuesday night, according to Port St. Lucie police.
The incident occurred around 11:58 p.m. when officers responded to reports of a car accident in the 2600 block of S.E. South Blackwell Drive. Upon arrival, they found a 16-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to the head and a 17-year-old girl who had been shot in the leg, both near their crashed blue Kia.
While aiding the injured teenagers, officers noticed a tan Chevrolet driving through the accident scene, which then hit a mailbox. The vehicle subsequently crashed into a swale as police attempted to pull it over, according to a police Facebook post.
Investigations revealed that the injured teens had arranged to meet the 15-year-old to sell him an $80 THC vape cartridge. During the transaction, the 15-year-old allegedly fired a shot from a handgun, which hit the boy in the head and struck the girl in her leg while they were in the car.
Following the shooting, the teenagers attempted to flee but crashed soon afterward. Both were transported to a local hospital, where the girl was reported to have non-life-threatening injuries, while the boy is in critical condition.
The shooter has been taken into custody and is being held at the St. Lucie Regional Juvenile Detention Center. He faces charges including attempted homicide during the commission of a felony, robbery with a firearm, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a minor.