STARKE, Fla. – An 18-year-old was arrested after a 36-year-old woman was shot at a Circle K in Starke, the Starke Police Department said.
Officials said the shooting occurred late Thursday night at a Mobil/Circle K gas station on West Brownlee Street just off US 301 near State Road 16. According to Detective Hunter Redding, the woman — who was shot in the torso — was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition.
Recommended Videos
A joint investigation with the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office led officials to 18-year-old Cole W. Crosby.
Officials discovered that the female had been shot by a person in a red vehicle while she was outside of the store. The vehicle was later found around 1.7 miles away in a “large amount of brush” beside Sleepy Hollow Motel, just North of the City of Starke, the department said.
Officials said Crosby was staying in a room at the Sleepy Hollow Motel. After an interview police found that he was in possession of a 9mm handgun while sitting in the driver’s seat of the vehicle.
“Upon handling the firearm, Crosby negligently fired a single round which traveled through the driver-side door frame of the vehicle, striking the female victim,” a report said. “After the shooting occurred, Crosby fled the scene and threw the firearm in a nearby wooded area.”
Crosby was placed under arrest for Tampering with Evidence, Discharging a Firearm from a Vehicle, and Culpable Negligence.
The Starke Police Department said elements of the investigation were still active and thanked FDLE and the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance.