Family walking on Florida highway attacked by teen firing Glock-style BB gun, cops say
A family walking along a West Florida highway came under attack as someone in an Audi repeatedly fired a Glock-19 style BB pistol at them, according to investigators in the Panhandle.
Siblings ages 10, 15 and 17 were hit by shots, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
It happened Saturday, March 9, in the coastal Seaside community, about a 70-mile drive east from Pensacola.
The family says it was walking back from dinner when a vehicle pulled alongside and someone in the passenger seat fired nearly two dozen rounds from a pistol. The vehicle then sped away.
Investigators did not reveal how the family reacted and injury details were not released.
“A vehicle matching the description was located around two miles west of their location with a Texas tag,” the sheriff’s office reports.
“The black Audi was parked near Seaside School, with a visible Glock-19, Co2 style BB gun lying in the rear passenger floorboard. ... A 16-year-old out of Texas was developed as a suspect and deputies used one of the individual’s Snapchat (social media account) to locate the teen nearby.”
When questioned, the teen told deputies “he shot his Glock 19 BB gun at people walking on the sidewalk,” officials said.
He is charged with aggravated battery, shooting deadly missiles from a vehicle, and child abuse, officials said. His identity was not released.
“This is not the first such instance of this happening during spring break in Walton County. BBs can cause serious harm to those on the receiving end. This type of behavior is not a game,” the sheriff’s office said in the release.
“Not only is it dangerous for those being shot at, but a weapon of this kind can be mistaken for a real gun putting others in fear for their lives. Anyone shooting one of these runs the risk of being shot at in return — possibly with a real weapon.”
This story was originally published March 12, 2024 at 7:18 AM with the headline "Family walking on Florida highway attacked by teen firing Glock-style BB gun, cops say."