Saying three teenagers from Osceola High School who were shot in a Davenport altercation early Sunday morning “had no part of the disturbance,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd gave an update Monday about the incident.
He said shots came from three types of guns — a .380 caliber, a 9-millimeter and a .223 rifle, much like an AR-15 — in the shootout that occurred around 3 a.m. Sunday at the Azur Resort.
An 18-year-old Middle Eastern male and two African-American 17-year-olds, a female with bullet grazes on her right shoulder and forearm and a male who got shrapnel in his eye and may lose sight in the eye, were shot in a car that served as “the backstop” for the shooting, Judd said.
“These were not troublemakers, they were just where they shouldn’t have been after midnight,” the Sheriff said.
Judd noted video evidence shows a large gathering of people at a nearby Wawa less than an hour prior. The gathering moved to a short-term rental at the resort. He said Osceola County Sheriff’s deputies shut down a large party earlier in the night, but couldn’t say if they were related.
A total of 33 shell casings were found from the three firearms. Bullets hit a nearby second-story apartment window and multiple cars nearby.
“Two people got through this, by the grace of God,” Judd said. “We’re working our way through a lot of video. Why is it that there were over 100 people there, and nobody knows anything? We have no idea who the suspects are, and we’re doing our best to figure this out.
“This shouldn’t have happened. Parents, where are your children at 2:45, 3:30 a.m.? Parents need to be parents.”
Osceola High Principal Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy said in a social media post late Sunday night that grief counselors would be on campus Monday to help any affected students, but did not release information about the incident.
"Our hearts and thoughts are with the students and families involved. I am extremely thankful that all three students survived," she said. "As we lean on each other, I want our students to know that they are not alone—our Kowboy family stands united in compassion and strength. Together, we will find hope, healing, and the resilience to move forward."
