A 16-year-old Florida student was fatally shot after a brief hallway encounter with a classmate at Oak Ridge High School in Sky Lake — an altercation that authorities say ended in tragedy.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said 15-year-old Jacori Redding has been charged as an adult with manslaughter with a firearm and possession of a firearm on school property following the shooting of 16-year-old Pinien Dalmacy on Oct. 9.
Investigators said the two sophomores bumped into each other at school, sparking a brief argument. When Dalmacy demanded an apology, Redding allegedly refused, and the two agreed to fight later at a nearby park.
Before the confrontation could escalate further, Redding allegedly pulled out a firearm and shot Dalmacy, then fled back to the school grounds.
Orange County Sheriff John Mina said a school resource officer was alerted to the shooting and quickly locked down the campus. Deputies later found Redding in the school cafeteria with a gun inside his backpack.
Authorities said it remains unclear how the suspect obtained the weapon. At the time of the incident, Redding was reportedly on trial for grand theft auto.
“My heart aches for Pinien’s family, who are grieving this unimaginable loss,” Sheriff Mina said. “It’s heartbreaking that something as small as bumping into someone in the halls of a high school can lead to such a senseless death.”
Dalmacy’s mother described her son as “full of light, always smiling, always dancing, and loved by everyone who knew him,” according to a GoFundMe page created in his memory.
Redding is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 12.
