DELAND, Fla. – A suspected gunman has been taken into custody after a man was shot in the head Monday night near a Fourth of July celebration in DeLand, police said.
The shooting happened around 7:10 p.m. at the Enclave at Pine Oaks Apartments on Harrison Place Drive., blocks from the city’s annual Firecracker Festival at Earl Brown Park.
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DeLand police said the victim, whose name and age have not been released, was airlifted to Halifax Health in Daytona Beach in critical condition.
According to police, the shooting involved “an armed suspect who fired shots into an occupied vehicle” before running away.
The victim was initially being driven to a hospital by someone, but they flagged down officers for help, police said.
A suspected gunman, 16-year-old Tywon Jamal Patton, was later taken into custody, the police department announced on Tuesday night.
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According to police, Patton is believed to have been involved in the shooting, which stemmed from an argument between “several parties, including the victim.”
Officers said they found Patton in the 600 block of East Division Avenue and made the arrest following a brief foot chase.
Patton faces charges of aggravated battery with a firearm, robbery with a firearm and carrying a concealed firearm.
“DPD is committed to the safety and well-being of our residents,” police said in a news released. “We will continue to work tirelessly to maintain a safe environment for all. We extend our thoughts and prayers to the victim and their family.”
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