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7-year-old fatally shot in dispute over jet skis on July 4

Tampa police are investigating a shootout that left a 7-year-old boy dead.
A boy is pictured.
Posted at 7:48 PM, Jul 05, 2023

A 7-year-old was shot and killed on July 4 as two groups fought over jet skis in Tampa, Florida.

Police said one group was upset another group was "recklessly" driving their jet skis too close to their kids who were swimming. The argument escalated when both sides started shooting at each other.

The child's grandfather pulled him into a truck to get away from the gunfire, but a round went through the truck while they were inside. Police said the same round hit the grandfather in the finger then the boy in the head.

The boy later died at a local hospital. The grandfather was treated for his injuries. 

"There is no reason, no excuse that an argument could lead to gunfire, much less an argument over jet skis," Calvin Johnson, deputy chief of investigations and support,  said during a press conference. "Now we got citizens, we got families, we got folks in our communities who have to deal with this tragic incident that occurred on the Fourth of July."

Witnesses believe the two groups consisted of Hispanic males, but police said there is limited information on the suspect's description.

Tampa police ask anyone with information to call them at 813-231-6130.

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