Florida Teen Charged in Fatal Shooting of Friend Inside Dick's Sporting Goods Dressing Room

A 16-year-old has been charged with manslaughter in the July shooting death of his 15-year-old friend inside a Brandon, Florida sporting goods store.

Florida Teen Charged Two Months After Fatally Shooting Friend in Store Dressing Room

A 16-year-old boy has been charged with manslaughter in the shooting death of his 15-year-old friend inside a Dick's Sporting Goods dressing room in Brandon, Florida, Law & Crime reports.

Ahmad Webb faces a manslaughter with a weapon charge in the death of Jaden Law. His arrest came roughly two months after the July 10 shooting at the Dick's Sporting Goods location inside the Brandon Exchange Mall, just outside Tampa.

Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to the store at approximately 4:30 p.m. after employees reported hearing a gunshot. Officers found Law dead inside the dressing room from a single gunshot wound.

Surveillance footage captured three individuals — including Webb and Law — entering the store together and proceeding into the dressing room. After the shot was fired, Webb and the third person fled the store into the parking lot, where both were arrested within minutes.

Deputies did not recover a firearm on Webb at the time of his arrest. The following day, investigators located a gun in a retention pond just south of the mall. Forensic testing confirmed it was the weapon used in the shooting.

Sheriff Chad Chronister addressed the arrest in a statement. "This investigation has never stopped," Chronister said. "Our detectives have worked diligently to uncover the facts surrounding Jaden Law's death, and today, we are holding a 16-year-old accountable with a manslaughter charge."

Authorities have not publicly disclosed what led to the shooting or the specific evidence that identified Webb as the shooter. A probable cause arrest affidavit was not immediately available.

Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer spoke to reporters in the immediate aftermath of the July incident. "This is something that is really concerning. This is a place where families come to shop, to have a good time with their families," Maurer said. "We have no tolerance for that … particularly in this community setting."

A medical examiner ruled Law's death a homicide. The State Attorney's Office approved the manslaughter charge on Monday following what deputies described as an "extensive investigation." Webb's next court date had not been listed at the time of reporting.

Law's obituary remembered him as "a sweet young boy with a soft soul." "Though he is no longer with us in person, his love lives on in our hearts," it read. "His legacy of joy, kindness and unconditional love will continue to inspire us every day."

Source: Law & Crime