Football Horseplay Leads To Shooting Of 12-Year-Old
FT. LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - An elderly man was questioned by police Sunday night after a 12 year old boy was shot following a football game in a Ft. Lauderdale neighborhood. The boy is recovering after surgery, and police are trying to decide if they will bring charges in the shooting.
The shooting may be linked to some post game horseplay with the football, according to 14-year-old Marcus Boone, who said he was walking home with the injured boy and some other friends.
"One of us threw it at the window. So he ran back to get the ball," Boone said, referring to the 12-year old friends identified as TJ.
Apparently, that upset the man who lived in the building targeted by the kids.
"The man came outside and we all was running that way," Boone said. "He started shooting that way and he must hit TJ."
"It's very strange," said Detective Travis Mandell of the Ft. Lauderdale police department. "That's why we're trying to get to the bottom of it. We know that the child has been struck at least one time.
The boy was hospitalized after the shooting and underwent surgery for his injuries, and is expected to recover.
However, neighborhood residents like Robert Thomas say neighborhood kids can give elderly people in the neighborhood a tough time.
"They always banging on the doors and then running away," he said. "He's just fed up with it. They've been doing this to the old man all day every day."
But other neighbors think taking a shot at some kids was going too far.
"It's a shame you know. At least they could have did you know tried to find their parents or something," said Anthony Walker. "Instead of just shooting at that. Because, like I said, I got little kids around here myself."
Police did not identify the alleged shooter or the victim.
