October 5, 2026 – Port Charlotte, FL
A juvenile has been arrested after discharging a firearm at a local park during a fight over the weekend.
At around 3:00pm on Saturday, October 3, Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Harold Avenue Regional Park in Port Charlotte following reports of gunshots. The parties involved had already fled the park. The scene was secured and Road Patrol members began an investigation. They were unable to locate any shell casings at the scene.
As news of the incident began to spread, an anonymous tip was received possibly identifying the alleged subjects involved in the incident with a gun. Detectives followed up on these leads and conducted interviews, resulting in the development of Donte Woods (9/28/2010) as a suspect. The tip indicated that two groups of teenagers had met at the park with the intention of fighting and that Woods (wearing a mask) had brought the firearm with him. During the fight, Woods attempted to hit another juvenile with the gun but missed, and the weapon discharged.
Detectives met with the juveniles identified in the tip, to include Woods and the male he attempted to “pistol whip”. The victim explained what had happened, which supported what had already been shared. The victim stated that he was able to identify Woods when the mask Woods had been wearing fell off as he racked the weapon.
Through investigation, detectives learned that Woods may have hidden the gun in a wooded area behind some apartments. As they searched the area, they located a red jacket hidden under some brush. Inside the jacket was a plastic bag containing a black Glock 19 with a purple grip, three magazines, 13 rounds of ammunition, and two spent rounds. This firearm matched the description of the weapon involved in the incident at the park and was collected as evidence.
“Our local parks are supposed to be places where people of all ages can go and enjoy themselves. The behavior of these juveniles, even without the involvement of a firearm, is unacceptable. Disagreements are a part of life, and how you handle them says a lot about who you are as a person. Decisions made today (especially bad ones like this) will have an effect on the rest of their lives. These individuals need to understand that and get on board real quick.“
Sheriff Bill Prummell
Donte Woods was arrested on October 4, 2026 and transported to the Charlotte County Jail on one felony charge of Aggravated Assault Without Intent to Kill. He was transferred to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice and has a court date of November 10, 2026.
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