VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Deputies with the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 14-year-old boy on Friday after they say he shot a 12-year-old classmate with a toy gun.
According to a news release, the victim was left with a welt on her stomach and told deputies that she recognized the 14-year-old from River Springs Middle School where they’re both students, but didn’t personally know him.
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Deputies said that the boy fired the toy gun — an Orbeez SplatRball SRB400 Water Bead Gel Ball Blaster — from the window of his sister’s car on Thursday as he rode in the passenger seat.
As the girl and at least two other individuals were walking home from school on West Blue Springs Avenue in Orange City, deputies said the boy used the toy gun to shoot at all of them and did not directly target the 12-year-old.
Detectives arrived at the middle school Friday and found the boy. They said the teen told them that he found the toy gun inside of his sister’s car and thought that it would be funny to shoot at his friends.
Deputies said they were unable to find the toy gun, which shoots water beads, Thursday.
The boy faces a charge of shooting a weapon/missile in a public or private building that could cause death or great bodily harm which is a felony. He was released to a family member after being screened by the Department of Juvenile Justice, according to the release. A court date is pending, deputies said.
News 6 has reached out to the Sheriff’s office to learn more about the incident and will update this story with that information.