On Friday, August 23, 2019 at 7:47 a.m. Milton Police Department responded to a shooting on Birch Street in Whiting Pines Subdivision on Berryhill Road. Milton Police Chief Tony Tindell said the investigation revealed a group of students were horse playing with a firearm and it fired. One juvenile was shot and taken to a local hospital. Three students left the scene producing a ripple effect, causing four Santa Rosa County schools to be secured-in-place. The juvenile witnesses including the shooter were taken to Milton Police Department for questioning. Two firearms were found within the home. Milton Police have the two handguns in custody. Tindell said the victim was cognizant and speaking when taken by ambulance to a local hospital.
This ongoing investigation is a joint effort between the Milton Police Department, Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit and Naval Air Station Whiting Field Security.
Milton City Manager Randy Jorgenson said, “Secure your firearms. This unfortunate event is a good demonstration of the reason to always have firearms secured within your home.”