ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Petersburg Police said a 14-year-old boy was shot near 20th Avenue South and 44th Street South.
Around 3:45 p.m., the teen was outside when a group of people fired several shots. The teen was able to get to a nearby house for help.
Sena Williams owns that house. Though she wasn't home at the time, her grandson was.
“He called 911. He called me. He called his mom. He did good with getting out the information. I’m very proud of him," Williams said
Officials say the teen was taken to Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital where he is in critical but stable condition.
“I just hope the little boy is okay," Williams added. “This makes me think. That could have been my grandson. I got bullet holes all in my house.”
St. Petersburg Police has publicly reported nine shootings in the city since April 1.
As for the Thursday shooting, so far there have been no arrests.
“I’ve already heard from some of the neighbors in the area — their dismay that, again, we have another situation where we have a young teen that’s a victim of gun violence," said Yolanda Fernandez with St. Pete Police.
The department says it is trying to curb incidents involving young people and guns through positive mentoring and activities.
But Williams thinks shooting like this will continue to happen, because she thinks it’s too easy for guns to end up in the wrong hands.
“It’s just like them going and buying potato chips and stuff now. I mean, I’m pretty sure they’re not going to a store, but it is so easy for them now to get a hold of stuff like that — that it’s scary," she said.
“You threw my son under the bus. You didn't take care of him.”
The State of Florida and the VA are under scrutiny after the Baker Act was used incorrectly on a young veteran who went to a Florida VA hospital for help.
