Sheriff McCallum issues statement re. incident with air-soft rifle after student football retreat

"Which one is real? You have less than one second to make this decision, and one of them is pointing at you. Still can’t decide? Neither could our victims, and neither can we," said Lt. Sccott Tummond with the Levy County Sheriff's Office.

Levy County Sheriff's Office (LCSO)

Bronson, Florida - On Wednesday, June 22, 2022, the Williston (Florida) High School football team was leaving Blue Springs (a state park, located at 2100 W. French Ave. in Orange City, Florida) after attending a team building retreat. A vehicle passed by the buses that were loaded with the players from the Williston High School football team, when someone from inside a white Hyundai car thrust one of the weapons (see photos) through the sunroof. "Are you still undecided (as to which firearm is real)? So were we," said Lt. Tummond.

Deputies and detectives with the LCSO flooded the area in an attempt to locate and conduct a traffic stop of the white Hyundai vehicle.

"Several of the Williston players believed the Hyundai was being driven by rival team members form Chiefland (Florida) High School’s football team," said Lt. Tummond. "This was accurate information, as it turns out."

Detectives located the Hyundai and its occupants, and seized the weapon in question. The investigation determined that the weapon was an air-soft gun, which fires a plastic projectile powered by compressed gas, which is technically a toy. "This 'toy' can be customized to mimic the real thing," said Tummond. "They are used in mock battles and can be modified to precision accuracy. YouTube is full of these types of videos, and the accuracy of the toy is astonishing."

"This investigation is still ongoing, and charges are expected to be filed in the near future," said Lt. Tummond. "One charge being considered is that of aggravated assault with a firearm, a serious felony. Florida Law allows this charge to be filed, even though the weapon is technically a toy. Why? Because the victims believed the weapon was real, which placed them in actual fear."

Levy County Sheriff Bobby McCallum issued a strong warning to parents and youths, "Consider the 'toys' you are allowing your children to have and how they could be improperly used. Realize that actions have consequences. We will not tolerate this type of behavior or a violation of law at school, or at school activities, and that they can lead to deadly results and the real possibility of retaliation. We are thankful this investigation determined that no real weapon was in the hands of our youth. This situation could have ended much differently. Keep a watchful eye on your children and the 'toys' with which they choose to play."