Boy, 12, hospitalized after Daytona Beach shooting, deputies say

Detectives determined boy was accidentally shot by friend

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A 12-year-old boy was hospitalized Saturday after being shot in Daytona Beach, according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.

The shooting happened shortly before 3:30 p.m. inside a home in the 1200 block of Leon Lane, just off Derbyshire Road.

Deputies collected a rifle and a handgun from the home after they say two kids, both 12 years old, were playing with guns and one of them went off.

According to investigators, Amy Callahan, the mother, left her 12-year-old son and a friend, Amarion McDuffie, home alone.

That's when the two pulled out a handgun and a rifle and started playing with them inside the house. Deputies said the 12-year-old son accidentally fired the rifle at Amarion, with the bullet going up through his chin and mouth, and exiting through the side of his head.

The Sheriff's Office said Amarion was standing outside the home when deputies arrived.

Amarion's injuries were determined to not be life-threatening, deputies said. He was taken to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach and then airlifted to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando for further treatment.

As far as potential charges, deputies told News 6 they're investigating whether or not the guns were stored properly. They said based on their findings, some of the people who live where it happened could face charges.

The Department of Children and Families also responded to the scene.

Deputies are advising everyone to make sure any guns at home are stored properly.

Stay with News 6 and ClickOrlando.com for updates on this story.


About the Authors

It has been an absolute pleasure for Clay LePard living and working in Orlando since he joined News 6 in July 2017. Previously, Clay worked at WNEP TV in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where he brought viewers along to witness everything from unprecedented access to the Tobyhanna Army Depot to an interview with convicted double-murderer Hugo Selenski.

Troy Blevins is a Digital Content Editor who has been with Graham Media Group since 2012.

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