Police said a 17-year-old died and another teenager was wounded after an attempted robbery erupted in gunfire in Largo, Florida.
LARGO, FL — Two 15-year-olds were charged with felony murder after police said they helped carry out a plan to rob another teenager of a handgun, leading to a shootout that killed a 17-year-old and wounded the intended robbery target.
The shooting happened shortly after midnight April 1, 2024, near 126th Avenue North and 66th Street North in Largo. Police identified the teenager who died as 17-year-old Carlos Medina. Investigators said Medina and another teenage boy intended to rob a 16-year-old of a gun while Medina’s 15-year-old sister helped provide information about the group’s movements.
Several people called 911 to report gunfire, according to police. Officers arriving in the area found Medina outside an apartment complex with multiple gunshot wounds. Officers provided aid before he was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
Police in nearby Pinellas Park located a second wounded teenager several blocks away on 126th Avenue. A firearm was found nearby. Authorities said the teenager was taken to a hospital and was expected to survive. Police described his condition as stable in the initial reports following the shooting.
Largo Police Chief Mike Loux said investigators determined that Medina’s sister had been spending time with a group of juveniles moving between an apartment complex and the parking lot of a nearby trampoline park. Police alleged that she communicated the group’s location to Medina and another 15-year-old boy as part of a plan to take a handgun from the 16-year-old.
Police said Medina and the other boy later confronted the 16-year-old and that gunfire followed during the attempted robbery. Authorities said Medina and the robbery target were wounded in the exchange. Investigators also said firearms connected to the incident included 9 mm handguns, although police were still working to determine their ownership and whether any had been reported stolen.
The 15-year-old boy accused of participating in the attempted robbery was charged with second-degree felony murder in Medina’s death and attempted first-degree felony murder, according to police. Medina’s 15-year-old sister was charged with second-degree felony murder based on investigators’ allegation that she helped arrange the robbery.
Under the felony-murder theory described by authorities, prosecutors can pursue a murder charge against a person accused of participating in certain felonies when a death occurs during the crime, even when that person is not alleged to have fired the fatal shot. The charges remain allegations, and the teenagers are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The shooting also created danger beyond those directly involved. Loux said at the time that a stray round struck the windshield of a passing vehicle. The person inside was not struck by the gunfire but went to a hospital after suffering a panic attack, according to the police chief.
Authorities initially withheld some identifying information because the defendants were minors and had not been charged as adults. Public reports reviewed for this article did not establish a later disposition of the juvenile cases. The circumstances of the shooting and the teenagers’ alleged roles were based on the Largo Police Department’s investigation and remained allegations unless established in court.
Author note: Last updated Aug. 28, 2026.