17-year-old arrested after 5-year-old shot in Interlachen, authorities say

Jaelin Tito Hope

A child is reportedly in critical but stable condition today at a Gainesville hospital after deputies say an argument Tuesday night in Interlachen led to the five-year-old being shot just above his ear.

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office arrested Interlachen teenager Jaelin Tito Hope and charged him with three counts aggravated assault, one count aggravated battery and one count of firing a missile into a vehicle, the agency reported. All charges are felonies. Although Hope, 17, is considered a minor, the sheriff’s office is legally allowed to release Hope’s name because he was charged with felonies, Florida law states.

According to the sheriff’s office, Hope was taken to the Putnam County Jail but has since been transported to a Department of Juvenile Justice facility in Volusia County.

The five-year-old victim was wounded following an argument Tuesday night between the victim’s dad and Hope around Oakcrest and Fifth Avenue in Interlachen.

According to the sheriff’s office’s incident report, the victim’s parents had been driving home from visiting family in Interlachen with their two sons when the victim’s parents told deputies Hope flagged them down. The victim’s father, who was driving, reportedly turned the car around to see what Hope wanted. The father told deputies he had had “problems” in the past with Hope.

The 17-year-old told the victim’s father he had not flagged him down and an argument between Hope and the victim’s father began.

During the argument, according to the sheriff’s office’s report, Hope was waving a black revolver handgun around.

“I don’t fight. I shoot,” Hope was reported to have said while waving the gun.

The victim’s father told deputies he began to drive away down Oakcrest Drive and Hope “fired six rounds at the vehicle as (the father) began to drive away,” according to the incident report.

The five-year-old’s family told deputies the child was shot just above his ear on the left side of the head.

A responding deputy reported seeing two bullet holes in the left side of the family’s vehicle Tuesday night. Another deputy reported the second child in the car had minor injuries due to a broken glass from a car window shattered by the bullet.

The sheriff’s office said no one else was injured.

First responders flew the child to a Gainesville hospital following the incident and the child reportedly underwent surgery this morning.