Suspect arrested in shooting that injured 10-year-old boy and his uncle: SPPD

Arrest in shooting that injured boy, 10, and uncle

Kylie Jones reports.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - St. Petersburg police say they've arrested an 18-year-old accused of firing shots that injured a 10-year-old boy and his uncle on Tuesday night.

Shooting investigation & arrest

What we know:

According to the police department, Antwon Jones fired shots during an argument between two groups in the 1400 block of 15th St. South around 7 p.m. Tuesday.

"You have an uncle that’s playing with his 10-year-old," Chief Anthony Holloway said. "We always say spend time with your child, and then he gets shot."

After the shots were fired in the distance, police say Antwon Jones, 18, walked out of a house on 15th St. and started firing a gun.

READ: Man wanted in New York double murder case captured in Florida: deputies

"He heard gunshots," Holloway said. "Not that someone was shooting at him. He heard gunshots and he thought that he should return fire to the sound."

Bullets hit the boy and his 40-year-old uncle, who were outside playing basketball and not involved in the conflict, police said.

A 10-year-old boy and his uncle were injured in a shooting on Tuesday night, according to St. Pete police.

Police say Jones was about three or four houses down from where the boy and his uncle were playing basketball.

Holloway says they were in the direction that Jones was shooting.

"It’s a tragedy that this is becoming the new normal," St. Pete City Councilman Corey givens Jr. said. "For kids to think it’s okay. It’s typical to get shot when you’re a kid."

Police say Jones stood at the scene as the boy and his uncle were rushed to the hospital.

"So, just think about how brazen," Holloway said. "You shoot into the area. You see the ambulance come. You see the 10-year-old and the uncle being transported and you stay right there."

What we don't know:

SPPD did not release the names of the victims. Police said it is unclear what the origin is of the original gunshots.

Lengthy criminal record

Dig deeper:

Holloway says Jones has a violent and lengthy criminal record, beginning when he was about 14 years old.

"He started off, as we often see with juveniles. He started off with petty theft, burglary, auto theft, Holloway said. "Then it went to robbery. Then it went to conspiracy to first-degree murder. Then he was charged with attempted murder."

Mugshot of Antwon Jones. Courtesy: Pinellas County Jail.

Jones faces the following charges:

Attempted felony murder (two counts)
Delinquent in possession of a firearm
Possession of a controlled substance (two counts)

Community violence intervention and prevention program

What's next:

On Wednesday, the St. Pete Police Department announced a $52,000 grant from the FDLE for a community violence intervention and prevention program.

Police say the program will target children between the ages of 11 and 17 who have been impacted by violence in some way.

READ: Florida 'brothel' allegedly run by illegal immigrants shut down after victim's desperate phone call

The program will offer free sessions where children can talk with counselors, participate in different wellness activities and receive emotional support.

Police hope to reach children who have already been exposed to violence and keep them from becoming involved in it themselves.

What they're saying:

"We want to break that cycle where that child, either she or he saw something that traumatized them, we want to bring a counselor out who can talk to them," Holloway said.

"I want to be more intentional about targeting those youth who are resorting to gangs and to guns, because there is help," Givens Jr. said. "There is hope. And, we have opportunities for them out there. We need to connect them to jobs."

What you can do:

Givens Jr. is supportive of the program, but says it also takes more than funding to be successful.

"If parents don’t buy in with helping us reach these kids, then our labor is in vain," Givens Jr. said. "We need parents to understand that these are children. They are not the parents. You’re the adult."

READ: Florida woman with outstanding warrant taunts deputies on social media to arrest her

Police say the program is offering free sessions to children between 11 and 17 years old on February 22, March 22, April 26, May 24 and June 28.

The program will be held at 1245 Jordan Park St. S. from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Parents or guardians must sign their children up at the start of the event and complete a release form.

The program will include St. Pete Police Department community service officers, a licensed mental health clinician and a wellness provider.

The Source: This story was written using information provided by the St. Petersburg Police Department and interviews conducted by FOX 13's Kylie Jones.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: