Posted on August 19, 2013

13-Year-Old Faces Attempted Murder Charge in Shooting of Another Teen

Tameel Stanley, Tampa Bay Times, August 16, 2013

Police arrested a 13-year-old boy on an attempted murder charge Friday, less than 48 hours after authorities said he shot another teenager who taunted him.

Le’Genius Wisdom Williams, of St. Petersburg, turned himself in to the St. Petersburg Police Department about 1:30 p.m. {snip}

Le'Genius Wisdom Williams

Le’Genius Wisdom Williams

“Unfortunately this appears to be a reoccurrence of a growing and disturbing phenomenon where young adolescent teens not only get access to guns, but seem to have no qualms about using them for the slightest provocation,” said police spokesman Mike Puetz.

Authorities said Williams fired a small-caliber gun several times about 9 p.m. Wednesday in the 1700 block of 26th Street S.

According to a witness, Williams and a small group of teens were on the sidewalk when 15-year-old Dinarick Ford rode by on a bike. The teens began spouting off at each other.

One person told authorities they heard Ford shout out “Childs Park,” an apparent reference to a St. Petersburg neighborhood. Williams then pulled out a gun and fired multiple times at Ford, striking him three times in the upper body, police said.

{snip}

Ford’s injuries are serious, police said, but not considered life-threatening. {snip}

Police said on Friday that they had not determined where Williams got the gun — or where it is now. Williams did not grant police an interview, on the advice of his attorney.

{snip}

“The level of violence by these kids is astounding, and it’s downright scary, quite frankly,” Bartlett said. “The idea that a 13-year-old kid would A) have a firearm to start with, and B) use it to fire at somebody three times over nothing . . . it’s just scary.”

{snip}