Florida Teen Staged Abduction, Shot Himself

Seventeen-year-old Caden Speight staged his disappearance and prompted a statewide Amber Alert and a large multi-agency overnight search on Sept. 25 after texting family that he had been abducted and shot by four men. Investigators found his truck near evidence of a single gunshot and determined his abduction and shooting claims were false after witnesses and other evidence contradicted his account. Authorities say Speight purchased a bicycle, tent and camping supplies at Walmart, rode toward Williston and then shot himself in the leg with a handgun he had carried; his wound was non-life-threatening. Deputies say his parents have refused to let detectives interview him and that charges remain possible as investigators continue processing evidence. Local reporting estimated the multi-agency search cost tens of thousands of dollars, prompting concerns about resource and taxpayer impacts.