KEY LARGO, Fla. – A 15-year-old boy opened fire and wounded another teenager during a fight over a girl in Key Largo, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
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Deputies said shots rang out Saturday night at Key Largo Community Park, located at 500 St. Croix Place.
They said the shooter, identified as Jonathan Valerio-Paniagua, fired two rounds at the 16-year-old victim: One grazed the victim’s hand and the other hit his cellphone in his pants pocket, causing it to explode. Investigators said the victim suffered shrapnel injuries and required surgery at a Miami-area hospital.
Authorities said Valerio-Paniagua, of Homestead, took off and dumped his wallet and hoodie in a nearby canal. He turned himself in at the Plantation Key jail on Tuesday, according to MCSO.
Valerio-Paniagua is facing charges of attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
He was being held without bond as of Tuesday afternoon.
“I will not tolerate violent crime in this community regardless of the age of the offender,” Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay said in a news release. “I want to thank the men and women of the Sheriff’s Office who worked to resolve this case quickly.”