SANFORD, Fla. – One 17-year-old girl was struck in the head and another was wounded Monday in a drive-by shooting in Sanford, police said.
The shooting happened around 7 p.m. in the 100 block of Scott Drive.
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Sanford police said officers were called to the area and found one teen suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the head. She was taken to a hospital and remains in critical condition as of Tuesday, police said. The other teenage girl suffered a minor injury, according to police.
Authorities said the girls were standing in front of a home when a red SUV drove past and the occupants opened fire. Video from the scene showed dozens of evidence markers in the street.
About four hours earlier, a 16-year-old boy suffered a leg wound when he was shot in a drive-by while walking in the area of 9th Street and Holly Avenue, police said.
At a Tuesday news conference, police said the shootings might be connected.
“Right now, we are confident today that we believe there’s a connection of some kind with the shootings,” Sanford police spokesperson Bianca Gillett said. “What the level of that connection is is part of the investigation but right now, we do believe that they could be connected, meaning that the 16-year-old was shot and then somebody who was maybe an advocate of his sought out people on the other side of town.”
The two drive-by shootings come about three weeks after a 17-year-old was shot and killed in Sanford.
Sadarion Cosby was fatally shot near the intersection of Ellen Place and Scott Drive. According to police, Cosby and three unidentified individuals approached a parked car with unknown occupants inside and shots were fired, leading to his death.
In addition, a 16-year-old boy wounded 10 people over the weekend at Cabana Live in Seminole County, just outside Sanford city limits, deputies said. One of the 10 victims was NFL wide receiver Tank Dell, police confirmed on Monday.
The Sanford Police Department said it has “increased all patrol staffing levels and are conducting enforcement targeting areas associated with the investigations.”
“We are exhausting all efforts in investigating these shootings and preventing any additional shootings. I can’t emphasize enough that stopping this violence cannot be done by law enforcement alone. We need full cooperation from the victims and witnesses. That means talking with investigators, providing them the evidence they ask for, such as cellphones, and providing statements. Working together is how we create a safe community,” Sanford police Deputy Chief Trekelle Perkins said.
Anyone with information about the shootings is asked to contact the Sanford Police Department or Crimeline at 800 423-TIPS or visit crimeline.org. Calls made to Crimeline remain anonymous, and tips to Crimeline that lead to solving homicide cases are eligible for a cash reward of up to $5,000.
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