WILTON MANORS – A 16-year-old is facing a manslaughter charge after a shooting Monday in Wilton Manors that killed another 16-year-old.
Both boys were students at Fort Lauderdale High School.
According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the shooting happened shortly after 2:30 p.m. at a multi-family residential unit in the 400 block of Northwest 25th Street.
Officers with Wilton Manors Police and Fort Lauderdale Police who were dispatched to the shooting found 16-year-old Christopher Granados bleeding from a gunshot wound to the head. He was taken to a local hospital where he later died.
Broward Sheriff’s homicide detectives, who investigate deaths within the city of Wilton Manors, took over the investigation and spoke to several teen witnesses who were in the apartment when the shooting happened.
The witnesses told investigators that Granados and another 16-year-old “began playing around pointing the guns at each other,” according to the arrest report. At one point the gun held by the 16-year-old went off and the bullet struck Granados, according to the report. The 16-year-old was arrested Monday night and faces one count of manslaughter with a firearm.
CBS News Miami is not identifying the suspect because he is a juvenile.
A decision hasn’t been made whether to charge him as an adult. He is being held in the Broward Regional Juvenile Center and his next hearing is Oct. 4
CBS News Miami spoke to the parents of both teenagers.
Edith Medina, the mother of Granados, said in Spanish: “For me he was the best. I loved him very much. He was a good boy. He had a big heart. He was loved by everybody. Our entire family is grieving.”
She said: “Up until now I don’t know anything about what happened. They haven’t told us anything. They are investigating. Supposedly they were playing but guns are not a game. You are not going to play to kill someone. Furthermore, he was a big kid. This is not a game.”
The victim’s father, Jose Granados, said: “Whoever owned the gun should take part of the blame for he allowed for the boy to use it. I am glad there were charges. They should put him in prison. He did not kill an animal. He killed my son. He was own blood, my heart. He was my most adored son. He would go to work with me in construction when he was not in school when he had time off. He was with me all the time. I have pictures of him going to work with me.”
Both of the victim’s parents want to know how the teenagers got the guns and who they belonged to. BSO says that is not clear at this point.
Stimphil Belony, the father of the alleged shooter, did not want to show all of his face. But he wanted to speak out to CBS News Miami.
He said he was surprised by what his son is accused of doing.
Belony said “He is a very, very good kid. He never got in to trouble. He was never in trouble as far back as elementary school. They were friends. They were not fighting. They were just playing with each other and this happened. I don’t know how they got the guns.”
He said “I feel very very bad for the other family. I feel so sorry for what happened to another family. And I am so sorry for myself because I loved my son.”
CBS News Miami obtained the 911 call. In it, you hear a caller saying “Somebody got shot. Somebody got shot. Help me please. Both of them were holding guns. They were playing and one of the guns went off.”
BSO says the caller was actually the suspect and he claimed the shooter had fled.
