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‘Unacceptable:’ Florida will now crack down on ‘teen takeovers,’ AG says

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier (Public Record)

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – After a recent ‘teen takeover’ turned violent in Clearwater Beach, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is speaking out.

According to CBS affiliate WTSP, police announced that a 17-year-old was shot during the incident, leading to the arrest of a 16-year-old, who now faces a charge of attempted second-degree murder.

WTSP reports that the 16-year-old is believed to have fired seven times. Meanwhile, the victim remains in the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries to his leg, arm and chest.

In response to the news, Uthmeier announced that he’s directed prosecutors to develop a plan to investigate those who are responsible for these events.

“Whoever is organizing these ‘teen takeovers,’ congrats: you have my attention,” he wrote.

It’s not the first time this sort of event has sprung up this year, though.

Back in April, Orange County Sheriff John Mina announced that nine teenagers had been arrested after fights broke out during an unsanctioned ‘teen takeover’ at ICON Park.

The chaos continued in May after another teen takeover crashed P-Day, a yearly gathering held in Orange County that traditionally centered on bringing local families together.

And yet another teen takeover was planned for a Kissimmee roller rink, putting the venue on high alert and prompting the business to heighten security.

That said, no additional information has been provided by Uthmeier at this time about what other measures his office has planned.

“Stay tuned,” he concluded. “More to come.”

[RELATED: Florida AG announces new ‘first-in-the-nation’ lawsuit]


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