Teen Faces Charges in Shooting at Florida High School

A 16-year-old student is facing charges after an active shooter incident put Seminole High School in Sanford, Fla., on lockdown for several hours on Wednesday, Jan. 19. The suspect, Da’raveius Smith, has been accused of one count of attempted murder, possession of a firearm on school property, firing a weapon on school property and disturbing the peace, said local police.

Local news reports that the incident began around noon. Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith said that resource officers were informed that there was a weapon on campus and that gunshots were coming from a nearby building. According to Smith, a school resource officer found an 18-year-old student who had suffered three gunshot wounds. The victim was transported to the hospital and underwent surgery for non-life-threatening injuries. The victim has since been identified as 18-year-old senior and student athlete Jhavon McIntyre.

Police were told that the suspect fled to a nearby apartment complex. Local news outlets report that officers were able to rapidly identify and locate the suspect and take him into custody “without incident.” Police also recovered a 9mm handgun in bushes outside the school.

The motive of the shooting is still under investigation. Early reports called it an isolated incident resulting from a “dispute over a young lady,” said Chief Smith. However, the suspect claims that McIntyre had been repeatedly taunting him over a recently deceased relative. Local news reports that McIntyre had approached the suspect and his girlfriend and “confronted [Da’raveius] Smith about a deceased relative and accused Smith of making the comment ‘f you’ to the deceased, the report stated.”

"The incident that occurred today is one that we prepare for but hope never occurs,” wrote Chief Smith in a statement. “We are grateful there was no loss of life today; however, the gravity of what happened is not lessened. I am proud of the swift actions of the school resource officers and other law enforcement that immediately responded, provided aid and ensured the safety of the students on campus.”

The suspect first appeared in court on Thursday, Jan. 20. Attorneys requested that he be held for 30 days, and his next appearance has been scheduled for Feb. 14.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • K12 Tutoring Earns Every Student Succeeds Act Level II Validation

    Personalized online tutoring service K12 Tutoring recently announced that it has received Level II validation underneath the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), according to a news release. The independently validated study provides evidence of K12 Tutoring’s role in creating positive student outcomes through effective academic intervention and research-based solutions.

  • modern college building with circuit and brain motifs

    Anthropic Introduces Claude for Education

    Anthropic has launched a version of its Claude AI assistant tailored for higher education institutions. Claude for Education "gives academic institutions secure, reliable AI access for their entire community," the company said, to enable colleges and universities to develop and implement AI-enabled approaches across teaching, learning, and administration.

  • Design Firm Populous Acquires Fentress Architects

    Design firm Populous, which specializes in sports and entertainment venues, recently announced its acquisition of Fentress Architects, based in Denver, Colo., according to a news release. Fentress’ primary focus is aviation projects and public buildings like museums, convention centers, and government facilities

  • KI Wall Demonstrates New Solutions at NeoCon 2025

    KI Wall attended NeoCon 2025 in Chicago, Ill., last month to showcase its new architectural wall systems and collaborations, according to a news release. Its customizable, design-forward wall solutions are intended to support creativity in work, education, and healthcare environments.

Digital Edition