PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – A woman accidentally shot and killed a teen inside a Pembroke Pines home Saturday, according to police.
The woman was handling the firearm and it discharged and fatally struck the boy who neighbors in the Coconut Reef community identified as her stepson. Police said it appeared to be an unintentional shooting.
Local 10 News spoke to the 15-year-old’s soccer coach who identified the boy as Achilles Lopez, but police have not confirmed the name of the victim. The coach said “he was destined to be great and do big things.”
In a release, authorities said, “the firearm was discharged unintentionally due to negligence and mishandling.”
Austin Diaz, a neighbor, said that he heard the father of the boy yell that “she killed his son.”
One neighbor said that the boy attended school at Somerset Academy, but that also has not been confirmed by police.
Authorities said any potential charges will be filed by the State Attorney’s Office.
The investigation is ongoing.