13-Year-Old Charged In November Accidental Shooting

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DeLand, FL - A teenage male from DeLand is arrested for his involvement with an accidental shooting that injured a teenage girl back in November.

Back on November 17th, 2018, officers with the DeLand Police Department responded to a home off Sherwood Drive where they found a 15-year-old girl had been shot through the wrist and in the abdomen.

Reports showed the wound was not life threatening.

At the time, the girl and a few other friends with her said they believed the shot had come from a wooded area behind the house.

Later, the group ended up telling police that a male, later identified as 13-year-old Cameron Cuthrell, was hanging out with them when he showed them a silver and brown pistol that inadvertently went off and shot the female teen.

One of the witnesses said Cuthrell brought the gun after he heard about a male who had made lewd comments to the group earlier in the evening.

Cuthrell apologized before leaving the scene.

The injured teen later told detectives that she said the shot had come from the wooded area to protect Cuthrell.

Cuthrell would eventually turn himself into the Department of Juvenile Justice. He was charged with one felony count of carrying a concealed firearm, and two misdemeanor counts of discharging a firearm in public and possession of a firearm by a minor.

"We're here to help our residents and keep them safe," Chief Jason Umberger said. "If you witness a crime, it is always right to tell the truth immediately to police. Lying or misleading the police about a criminal investigation could result in a witness potentially being arrested. Fortunately – we did eventually get cooperation from some of the people involved – and were able to identify the person responsible and charge him with the appropriate crimes. Now it is the responsibility of the Department of Juvenile Justice and ultimately the courts to hold him accountable.”