Teen dies after being shot by 15-year-old friend playing with a gun in Palmetto
A 16-year-old boy died two days after being shot by a friend who was playing with a gun, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said Monday.
The teen’s friend, 15-year-old Damian Anderson — who was initially arrested and charged with attempted manslaughter — is now facing a manslaughter charge.
Deputies were called to a home in the 900 block of 14th Street East in the Sylvan Oaks neighborhood in Palmetto just before 4 p.m. July 19 to reports of a shooting involving a minor. The teen was taken to Blake Medical Center where he had been in critical condition.
On Thursday, the teen died at Blake.
At first, a witness told deputies that the teen had accidentally shot himself while holding the gun but detectives soon after learned that it was Anderson who was playing with a gun when it went off.
Within two hours, Anderson was arrested and charged with attempted manslaughter. He was taken to Manatee Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Bradenton.
This story was originally published July 25, 2022 at 11:47 AM.
