BUNNELL, Fla. – A Flagler County grand jury has indicted a 16-year-old accused of killing another teenager last month on a charge of first-degree murder. He will be tried as an adult.
Benjamin Allen has been held by the Department of Juvenile Justice since his arrest July 14 in the shooting death of 17-year-old Elijah Rizvan. After his indictment, he is now being held in the Duval County jail, as Flagler County does not have the capacity to hold juveniles.
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“We fully support the state’s decision to try this young man as an adult in the shooting death of another teenager,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in a statement. “We applaud the grand jury and State Attorney Larizza and hope that this sends a loud and clear message that this behavior will be taken seriously and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Deputies said Allen shot Rizvan (pictured, right) during what was supposed to be a deal to buy $120 worth of marijuana that was set up over Snapchat.
“Gun violence and murder place a cloud of fear and despair over or neighborhoods and communities,” State Attorney R.J. Larizza said in a statement. “It is especially disheartening when the violence involves teenagers. Charging the defendant as an adult was necessary for two reasons – to protect our neighborhoods and communities, and to hold the defendant accountable for his intentional and deadly crime.”