Orlando police arrested a teenage suspect on Monday in a recent shooting outside a Parramore restaurant that authorities now say stemmed from gang violence.
The 16-year-old male, who the Orlando Sentinel isn’t naming due to his age, is the first suspect arrested in the shooting that took place Feb. 15 outside of the Sister Soul Food restaurant on South Parramore Avenue. The Orlando Police Department announced his arrest in a Monday news release.
Officers responded to the restaurant around 1 p.m. that day and found four teens wounded by gunfire, including one who had a critical head injury and remains in the hospital, the release said. The agency previously stated the other three teens had non-life-threatening injuries.
Monday’s announcement was the first time the department mentioned gang involvement in the shooting.
An extensive police investigation determined the shooting stemmed from a gang-related dispute, during which multiple individuals exchanged gunfire before fleeing in various directions, according to OPD.
The suspect returned about a minute later and fired additional shots into a crowd that had gathered to assist the injured victims, the release said.
One round struck the victim, who remains hospitalized in critical condition. Investigators determined that the victim was a known gang member involved in the dispute and identified that person as an opposing gang member to the suspect, according to the release.
The suspect was arrested on a charge of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm, the release said. OPD is still trying to apprehend the remaining suspects.
