A 7-year-old boy was killed and his grandfather injured after witnesses say a dispute over reckless jet ski driving led to a shootout in Florida, according to authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Tampa Police Department said the shooting occurred around 8:30 p.m. local time Tuesday along the Courtney Campbell Causeway west of Ben T. Davis Beach, police said in a news release Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen officers arrived, they found a 7-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to his head and the victim\u2019s grandfather who suffered a gunshot wound to his hand,\u201d police said in the news release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to witnesses, a \u201cverbal altercation ensued between two groups\u201d over reckless jet ski driving near an area where children were playing in the water. The dispute escalated when some members of each group began shooting at each other, police said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDuring the shooting, the grandfather was attempting to shield his 7-year-old grandson from the gunfire when they both were struck,\u201d police said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Grandfather pulled child inside truck when a bullet went through the vehicle
In a news conference Wednesday, Tampa Police Department Deputy Chief Calvin Johnson said the grandfather grabbed the 7-year-old boy and pulled him into a truck when he heard the gunfire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen they were inside the vehicle, a round went through the vehicle, hit the grandfather in the finger and the young man in the head,\u201d Johnson said in the news conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Johnson said the child was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tampa police are asking anyone who may have information on the case to call the department. Detectives are still investigating, police said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n