Carvalho, Father Speak Out After Teen Shooting
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A father and the superintendent of Miami-Dade Schools both spoke out Wednesday after a 15-year-old middle school student was riddled with bullets during an argument.
Police say the victim was shot at several times. One of the bullets struck him in the stomach.
CBS4's Peter D'Oench asked John Orr, the father of the teen, "How do you feel about this?
"Like any father. You are hurt," responded Orr.
The shooting happened as the result of the teen, Laron Brown, getting into an argument with two men, Christoper Vazquez and Taurean Pitts, near 5078 NW 195 Lane.
During the dispute Vazquez, 18, pulled a gun and shot Brown, according to police.
Crews airlifted Brown to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital where he was listed as stable.
Orr is alarmed by a shooting that could have taken his son's life.
"He's your average 15-year old. He's a good kid," said Orr, who added his son is an eighth grade student at Lakes Stevens Middle School.
CLICK HERE to watch Peter D'Oench's report
The crime prompted a tweet from Carvalho Wednesday morning saying, "Once again bullets scar our community's soul with a 15-year-old boy shot last night. Our prayers are with him and his family. #EnoughTears."
He also visited Brown at the hospital.
"After visiting the father, mother and Laron himself, I just can not believe that in our community the solution for a verbal altercation is five bullets into the body of a 15-year-old boy," said Carvalho. "Something is deeply wrong in our society. I continue to say we need to rally together as adults and come up with solutions for the violence that continues to chip away at the innocence of our community."
As for Carvalho's tweet, Orr said he's glad to see it.
"I love the Superintendent of schools. I see that he's concerned about all kids of his," said Orr.
Police said Vazquez and Pitts remained at the scene for the police to arrive. Vazquez reportedly claimed that he fired his weapon because he was worried about being robbed. Police said Vazquez told them, "I know I was wrong. It was the spur of the moment."
Officer's seized Vazquez's gun along with 65 grams of marijuana and more than $12,000 in cash.
Vazquez was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and tampering with evidence. Pitts was charged with possession of cannabis with the intent to sell, tampering with evidence and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Vazquez could claim that this was a case of how he acted under the Stand your Ground law.
As Vazquez came before a judgein bond court on Wednesday, a Judge read from a police report in which Vazquez told police about his fears that he was going to be robbed and he told police that he tried to scare away Brown with his handgun.
"The defendant racked the slide back to intimidate the victim," said the Judge, reading from the report.
"So it appeared the victim went there for something that might not be lawful."
She then asked, "Isn't there a stand your ground law?"
She ordered Vazquez to stay away from the victim in this case.
