MARION COUNTY, Fla. – A 17-year-old boy accused of staging a shooting and alleging his own abduction has been arrested and charged, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said.
The boy was arrested on Tuesday on charges of providing false evidence, shooting into a conveyance, making a false report of a crime, and possession of a firearm by a minor.
FOX 35 is not naming the boy or showing his mug shot due to his age.
Sheriff: Shooting, abduction was not true
The backstory:
On Sept. 25, MCSO deputies responded to a report of a shooting on Highway 484 in Dunnellon. Deputies found the boy’s truck, though the teen was not there.
The boy had then texted his family that he had been shot. It were reports that he had been abducted by four men.
An AMBER Alert was issued that night, as law enforcement continued to search for the boy.
Less than 24 hours later, the abduction story began to fall apart.
“A significant deployment of MCSO personnel and resources, alongside assistance from multiple law enforcement agencies, was launched in response to what appeared to be a serious and urgent incident,” MCSO said in a Tuesday news release.
Officials allege that the boy staged the initial shooting, and ended up shooting himself in the leg. He was ultimately found about 30 minutes north of where he was reported missing. He was found with a handgun and a bike. The bike, MCSO said, was purchased shortly before the incident was reported.
A Staged Crime Scene
Deputies said there were concerning signs at the initial crime scene: a bullet hole through the truck’s windshield, what appeared to be “blood” splatter, the boy’s destroyed cell phone, and apparent “drag marks” in the dirt.
Officials said in a Tuesday update that the boy had mentioned running away before and that he allegedly used ChatGPT to search for collecting blood without pain and Mexican cartels.
Deputies said the boy was found with a self-inficted gunshot wound to his leg, which shattered his femur and required treatment.
Arrest and Charges
The boy was arrested and transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice on the following charges:Â
Presenting False EvidenceShooting into a ConveyanceMaking a False Report of a CrimePossession of a Firearm by a Minor
The Source: The Marion County Sheriff’s Office shared an update on its investigation on Oct. 14, 2025.
Marion CountyCrime and Public SafetyCentral Florida NewsInstastories