MIAMI — Thinking his home was under attack, a Florida homeowner shot and wounded a 10-year-old whose father had driven him to participate in a drive-by shooting with a paintball gun, police said.
Michael Williams, 26, told Opa-locka police his son begged him to drive by a home where young people were gathered Sunday night so he could fire his paintball out the window, according to a police report released Tuesday.
Williams drove by the home as his son fired off several rounds, police said. The homeowner confused the paintball for real gunfire, telling police he thought his family was being attacked. He fired one shot, which struck the child. The boy then lost his balance and was run over by his father’s vehicle, police said.
No additional details on the child’s injuries or condition were released. Williams drove the child home and his mother called 911, according to police.
The Miami Herald reports the father was charged with child neglect with great bodily harm. According to a police report, Williams “acted recklessly by agreeing to conduct a drive-by paint ball shooting,”
It was not clear if Williams had an attorney who could comment on the charge.
