Boy Dies After Teens Take Turns Shooting At Each Other: Police

KEY POINTS

Two boys, 16 and 17, had been taking turns shooting at each other while wearing a vest that contained a form of body armor, police say
The 16-year-old was struck and later died as a result of his injuries, according to detectives
Another 17-year-old boy is accused of misleading officials with inaccurate information about the incident

Two teenagers in Florida were arrested Thursday in connection with the shooting death of a 16-year-old boy.

The two teens in police custody were identified as Joshua Vining and Colton Whitler, both 17, WFLA reported.

Police responded to reports of a shooting at a home in Belleview, Florida, on April 3 and found a 16-year-old boy with a gunshot wound.

The victim, identified as Christopher Leroy Broad, was brought to the hospital, where he later died as a result of his injuries.

During their investigation, police determined that Vining and Broad had been taking turns shooting at each other while wearing a vest that contained a form of body armor, according to a news release from the Belleview Police Department.

Vining shot at Broad while he was wearing the vest, and Broad was struck, police alleged.

BPD lead detective Sergeant Michael Miley discovered evidence to prove that Vining shot and killed Broad, according to the news release.

One of the teens present at the residence at the time of the incident recorded Snapchat videos of the shooting, according to arrest affidavits obtained by WESH2.

The lead detective said one of the videos allegedly showed Broad shooting at one of the others who was wearing a "tan plate carrier style vest." Another video allegedly showed how they took turns and Broad was shot at next five times by a 9 mm handgun, the arrest affidavits said.

"I saw a teenage boy come outside all hysterical screaming," said Joe Vanhouten, an Army veteran who lives next door and saw the immediate aftermath of the shooting, told WESH2. "I was always taught from a young age you never play with guns."

Whitler, who was initially interviewed as a witness to the shooting, misled officials with inaccurate information about what took place and who shot Broad, police alleged.

Vining was charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child with a firearm.

Whitler, meanwhile, was charged with providing false information to law enforcement.

Both teens are being charged as adults.

"It seems weird to me that they would have a body armor vest. Why would you have one?" said Vanhouten. "A sad deal that teenage boys being I guess being teenagers, not realizing the possible consequences of what they were doing."