CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — A 14-year-old boy was accidentally shot and killed by his 16-year-old friend during a sleepover in Middleburg Wednesday night, the Clay County Sheriff's Office said.
Officers and fire rescue arrived at a home on Aster Avenue just after midnight Thursday morning after a 911 call said a child had been shot.
When officials arrived, they found the 14-year-old boy, Ky Zieschang, with a gunshot wound. He was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Deputies said the 16-year-old boy was "recklessly handling a firearm" when he shot and killed his friend.
The older boy was questioned at the scene and eventually arrested and charged with manslaughter.
Deputies discovered the gun that was fired does not belong to either of the adults in the household. An investigation is underway to determine where it came from.
Neighbors call the shooting sad.
“It’s real jarring because it’s quiet out here, it’s peaceful,” said Stephen Stiles. “The worst thing you hear around here is airplanes landing at Cecil Field.”
Stiles has lived on Aster Avenue for many years, but he never expected a teenager to be shot and killed in his quiet neighborhood.
“It’s shocking to find out something like this happened, especially down the street,” said Stiles.
His grandsons used to play with the 16 year old when all of the boys were younger.
“We just hung out, played on the swings over there,” said 14 year old Brayden Stiles.
As the years went by and the boys grew out of playing on swing sets, they said they drifted apart from the 16 year old, but are still stunned by the news of the shooting.
“I would never think that he would do that, not from him,” said Jordon Stiles, who didn’t hear the shooting but took a picture of all of the cop cars that illuminated his street with their lights on when he returned home after midnight. His cousin Brayden is still stunned.
“It was pretty weird, I didn’t think that would happen around here,” said Brayden Stiles.
The entire Stiles family said they offer their condolences to the family of the victim. Stephen Stiles is using this tragedy as a learning opportunity about gun safety for his grandkids.
“All my guns are locked up in a safe and they can’t get them unless an adult is with them, but we’re going to go over it again to make sure they’re aware of it,” Stephen Stiles said.
Neighbor Pam McCafferty lives in the neighborhood of the victim.
"I’m so saddened to hear that," said McCafferty.
She's calling this incident a tragedy for everyone involved.
"I mean that’s careless and I’m sure it had to been an accident but that boy’s gonna have to live with it for the rest of his life and the family no longer has a son. So they’re too young to be playing with guns, playing around with them," said McCafferty, "It’s a tragic accident I’m sure but people lost their lives."
The sheriff's office encourages anyone with information regarding this incident to contact detectives at (904) 264-6512 or via the Safer Watch App.