A suicidal 16-year-old boy shot himself in the head during a standoff with Jacksonville police who fired at him but missed in the Regal Avenues theater parking lot. The boy was taken to the hospital in life-threatening condition.
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Chief Mike Shell said it began with a call from the boy’s mother at about 6:25 a.m. Monday, Aug. 10, saying he was suicidal and had a handgun. When officers arrived, he had already left the home. But they located him about a half-hour later in the theater parking lot on Philips Highway.
While attempting to speak with him, he pulled a handgun from his waistline area, prompting one of the officers to fire a Taser and another fired a handgun multiple times, but both missed, Shell said. The teen ran but was still armed in the parking lot surrounded by open businesses with customers.
At about 8 a.m. the Sheriff’s Office’s Behavioral Crisis Response Unit was able to communicate with him on his phone to try to help him. At about 9:15 a.m. SWAT brought in armored vehicles. When the teen started walking, officers fired pepper balls on the ground trying to force him away from that location, and he shot himself instead, Shell said.
Due to his age, the Sheriff’s Office is not naming him but advised that in 2023 he was expelled from Mayport Middle School for making threats to kill everybody at the school including the dean. He was expelled but not arrested.
The officers also are not being named until 72 hours due to a new law.
“I don’t think anyone wants an ending like this obviously,” Shell said. “If there are people in stress, we want them to reach out and get help and get resources. … It’s difficult for those involved. On the family side, I feel terrible for them. It’s difficult for the officers involved. All the way around it’s a terrible situation.”
Scott Butler has been an editor/reporter specializing in public safety coverage for 26 years with The Florida Times-Union. He can be reached at sbutler@jacksonville.com.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Boy shoots himself in head in standoff after police also fire shots
Reporting by Scott Butler, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Scott Butler, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union | USA TODAY Network
