HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Detectives are still investigating three shootings that took place over a span of 24 hours, all involving teenagers.
On New Year's Eve, a security guard was shot while trying to get a group of teenagers off the Tampa Museum of Art property.
A 16-year-old girl was shot in the leg when an altercation between two groups of teenagers broke out.
On New Year's Day, a 15-year-old girl was found after getting shot outside a home.
This is a concerning start to the New Year, and one local violence prevention group said they are working around the clock with local law enforcement and schools to ensure this does not become a trend in 2025.
Safe and Sound Hillsborough works to keep kids away from violence, and Freddy Barton works directly with children who have gun-related charges.
“Let's not take this as what's going to be for the rest of the year," Barton said. "We know as long as we work together, we can see something positive happen.”
Barton explained it will take a community-wide effort to keep kids safe and prevent violence.
“It takes more than Safe and Sound. it takes more than law enforcement. It takes everyone coming together to address this issue, so in 2025, we can see it start to decrease the amount of kids getting their hands on guns,” Barton said.
For parents, he said now is the time to check backpacks and know who your child is with and where they are.
He wants to remind gun owners to properly lock up and store their guns. Barton said they saw a sharp increase in gun-related incidents involving teenagers at the end of 2024, but they are working to lower those numbers in 2025.
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