An Orange County pastor expressed his wish for society to 'give kids better opportunities for a bright future' in the aftermath of another shooting death involving a 17-year-old male.
According to WESH2 News, police identified the victim as Brandt Glover, 17, who died following an accidental shooting on Friday.
Details of the Incident
The Orange County Sheriff's Office said its deputies responded to a call on 4100 White Heron Dr. in Pine Hills, Florida.
Upon arriving at the scene, officers found the 17-year-old shooting victim and helped transport him to a nearby hospital. The victim was pronounced dead on arrival.
The WESH2 News report disclosed that the victim was a student at Jones High.
The sheriff's office said in initial reports that the shooting appeared "accidental."
"The preliminary investigation indicates this was an accidental shooting, and all parties remained on scene," the sheriff's office noted.
Accordingly, the agency issued a reminder to families that own a gun and keep them at home.
"Guns inside homes should be secured, and they should not be accessible to anyone who doesn't know how to safely handle a firearm," it said.
Local Pastor Weighs in on the Shooting Death
Derrick McRae, the senior pastor at The Experience Christian Center in Orlando, told WESH2 News that the shooting incident happened just under half a mile from his church.
McRae suggested that society should guide teenage kids more, especially regarding guns. The pastor acknowledged that guns are a problem, but there is no lack of potential solutions to it.
"We're not in a deficit of good ideas; we're in a deficit of completed ideas," WESH2 News quoted Pastor McRae saying.
He noted that many parents are juggling two or more jobs, which significantly hampers their capacity to guide their kids properly.
"We have to give our kids more hope, give our parents more support, we have to put more responsibility on those parents as well," McRae stressed.
Finally, the Orlando pastor lamented kids' worrying mindset about their chance at a bright future.
"We have to give a fair opportunity for kids to have a brighter future, a lot of the kids if you talk to them, don't believe, they believe that 21 or 22 is a huge accomplishment in life, and that's a sad place to be," McCrae told WESH2 News.
About Pastor Derrick McRae
His website profile says Bp. Derrick McRae is the senior pastor of The Experience Christian Center. Bishop McRae received his license from the Church of God In Christ in 1998, just one year after he answered the call to ministry.
McRae is a motivational speaker, radio personality, instructor, choir director, and talk show host, among the many hats he wears. He is also the African American Council of Christian Clergy president and Saints Academy School chaplain.
He is husband to Lady Taja and father to Kayla, Brailon, and Derrick II.
His church has more than 1,600 active members. Since the church opened its doors, it has reportedly served more than 148,000 community members through its outreach programs.
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