The last time Charles Morris Jr. spoke to his mother, he told her he was going fishing, according to police. Then she heard from his friend that he had been robbed and possibly shot.
The 16-year-old was found Wednesday in Boynton Beach with a gunshot wound to the head, police said in a release. He died in the hospital Friday morning.
Boynton Beach Police officers were responding to a traffic crash around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday when Morris Jr.’s father flagged them down and told them his son had just been shot, according to the release. The father had heard this from Morris Jr.’s mother, who had just heard from his friend. The friend told her that Morris Jr. had been robbed and that he had heard gunshots after the robbery took place.
Officers then spoke to Morris Jr.’s mother, who said her son had told her he was going fishing nearby. While police officers were trying to locate Morris Jr. using his phone number, they got a 911 call about a shooting in the Preserve at Boynton Beach community.
Police officers searched the community and found Morris Jr. on the ground in a vacant house in the 1700 block of Northeast 6th Street, according to the release. Boynton Beach Fire Rescue took him to Delray Medical Center. He was pronounced dead a little before 11 a.m. Friday morning.
The release did not say whether any suspects have been identified.
Detectives are continuing to investigate the shooting. Anyone with information should contact Detective Vargas by emailing VargasA@bbfl.us or by calling 561-742-6163.