Teen arrested for shooting flare gun onto school soccer field during match
December 10, 2024
Case #: 2024-009429
The Bradenton Police Department has arrested a teenager for shooting a flare gun onto a soccer field during a match at a local private school on November 21.
According to detectives, the 16-year-old, who does not attend the private school, was asked to leave the soccer match due to disruptive behavior. The teen and his friends left the school’s property and returned to the vehicle they’d driven to the soccer game, parked at a nearby restaurant. The teen then fired the flare gun from the passenger seat of the car toward the school’s soccer field. The flare narrowly missed players but burned two holes in the artificial turf, causing more than $1,000 in damage.
After being questioned about the incident, the teen admitted to shooting the flare, expressed remorse, and agreed to turn himself in to Bradenton Police detectives. He was arrested on December 9 on the following charges:
Criminal Mischief – Damage in excess of $1,000 (Third-Degree Felony)
Culpable Negligence – Exposure to Harm (Second-Degree Misdemeanor)
He was taken to the Juvenile Detention Center.