Teen shot in Palmetto during dispute. Then he drove himself to the hospital

An exchange of words resulted in the shooting early Saturday morning of a teenager who was able to drive himself to a hospital for treatment, according to a news release from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

The victim, 19, was driving in the area of the 100 block of 17th Street East at about 3:15 a.m. when he and an unidentified passerby had a verbal dispute, the authorities said.

After words were exchanged, a violent reply in the form of gunshots followed as the victim began to drive away, authorities said.

The suspect fired a handgun, and one of the rounds penetrated the vehicle, striking the driver in his lower back. The victim then drove to a hospital. His injuries were not life threatening, authorities said.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 941-747-3011 or Crime Stoppers at 866-634-TIPS.

This story was originally published March 17, 2018 at 9:08 AM with the headline "Teen shot in Palmetto during dispute. Then he drove himself to the hospital."