A 16-year-old student from a Seminole County school in central Florida, accused of shooting and seriously injuring another high school classmate from the same center, will be tried as an adult, local media reported Monday.
Da’raveius Smith, arrested last May and accused, among other charges, of attempted first-degree murder after seriously injuring 18-year-old Jhavon McInyre with a weapon, will be tried in a court for adults and not for minors, he collected the WESH 2 News channel.
The shooting occurred last January at Seminole High School, in the town of Sanford, when Smith shot and seriously injured McIntyre, who was admitted with three gunshot wounds (in the wrist and both legs), although, In critical condition, his condition was stable, Sanford Police said in a statement.
Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith then said in a statement that the shooting was likely the result of a dispute between the two boys over a young woman; but, in the police report, there is no altercation over a girl, but rather it was a personal matter between the two students and an alleged “mockery” by the victim towards the aggressor.
“We are grateful that there was no loss of life” in the shooting, the police chief added.
The assailant, who was arrested “without incident” shortly after the shooting, used a 9mm pistol that he later threw into some bushes outside the school, but was located by police officers, Orlando’s WESH 2 channel reported.
According to the police report, Smith said McIntyre had been threatening him in connection with alleged comments about one of McIntyre’s relatives killed in gun violence.
Smith added that the victim confronted him in the bathroom and taunted him and that this led him to wait for McIntyre outside, where he shot him multiple times as the victim ran away and multiple bullets struck him, though none were fatal.
