DANIA BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) — A South Florida father is outraged after his 6-year-old son was struck by a BB gun pellet.
According to the boy’s father and officials, he was hit by a BB gun pellet at a marina in Dania Beach. They believe the shot came from a park and was aimed across the canal.
The South Florida boy said he loves to be on his family’s boat, but on Saturday when the family was getting ready to depart from Dusky’s Marina near the Dania cutoff canal, his dad heard something odd. "I heard BB gun shots, and I said I heard them maybe 20 minutes before," the boy’s father said, who asked not to be identified.
Across the canal, he said he could hear children and adults, including a man who was holding what looked like a BB rifle. That’s when the victim said he was shot. "When I was picking up a bag, and I felt something hit me," the boy said, while pointing to his hip.
When his father looked at his son’s hip, it was bright red and bruised. "He screamed out in pain," said his father. "I yelled at the guy, he ran down this block right here, ran down that block, came down here."
The alleged BB gun shooter got away, and the boy’s father called police. However, he’s left to wonder why someone would shoot a BB gun across the canal into a crowd, or fire any kind of weapon in a neighborhood. "Don’t play with guns, or you will get hurt," the victim said.
"Nobody should be shot when you’re standing and everybody’s here to have a good Saturday and people are here to fish and people are here to have fun," the boy’s father said. "No matter where you’re standing, you shouldn’t be worried about gunfire," he added.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office said this kind of situation could carry a charge of simple battery.
If you have any information on this incident, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $3,000 reward.