15-year-old boy identified as Stafford shooting victim, two teens identified as suspects

STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office has provided an update on a shooting that took place Thursday night, and has identified those involved as juveniles.

According to the Stafford Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the Park Ridge Community Pool on Parkway Boulevard just after 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 6 for a report of a shooting. When they got there, the deputies found a 15-year-old male who had been shot in his back.

The teen was flown to a nearby hospital with injuries that are considered serious, but non-life-threatening. Out of an abundance of caution, nearby H.H. Poole Middle School, Park Ridge Elementary School, the Merit School of Stafford, and Porter Library were all put on lockdown. North Stafford High School was put on a partial lockdown while police investigated.

A K-9 unit searched the woods outside the pool and found two 17-year-old males from Prince William County hiding in a shed on Boondocks Lane. One was taken to the Sheriff’s Office and the other, who had a gunshot wound to his leg, was treated at a local hospital before being released to deputies.

After around three hours of searching, detectives found three handguns in the area near the pool. It is believed that the two 17-year-olds travelled to Stafford, where they encountered the 15-year-old. A struggle then ensued between the three, which led to shots being fired.

The 17-year-old who was shot in the leg has been charged with aggravated malicious wounding and using a firearm while committing a felony, the other was charged with grand larceny of a firearm and possession of a firearm by a minor. Detectives are still working to determine how the teens got the firearms and say there may be more charges coming.

Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to call Det. N.D. Ridings at 540-658-4400.