Local

Child hit when bullet comes through wall of Daytona Beach hotel room

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A 12-year-old boy vacationing in Daytona Beach was hit by a stray bullet while he was inside his hotel room Thursday morning,

authorities said. The bullet went through the wall of his room at the Wyndham Hotel Ocean Walk Resort on North Atlantic Avenue.

The child, who did not require hospitalization, is OK, but police said it could have ended tragically.

"We could have a dead 12-year-old kid here where a family is on vacation and somebody wants to be negligent with a firearm and it just doesn't make any sense," said Daytona Beach Police Chief Michael Chitwood.

Police said David Scott, 59, pulled his gun from his suitcase while in his eighth-floor hotel room. According to police, Scott removed the magazine from the 9mm pistol, pointed the gun at the wall and pulled the trigger.

Police said the gun fired and the bullet traveled through the wall into a neighboring room.

Police said the child was hit by the bullet or a piece of debris.

"That's dangerous, you know, because there are a lot of kids here. We were a little bit concerned, that's the reason we went ahead and got out of the hotel," said hotel guest Randy Callahan.

Police said Scott if facing a count of culpable negligence by exposing the victim to harm.

"At the end of the day this is just stupidity and sometimes stupidity can cost a life," said Chitwood.

Police said the man did have a permit to carry the gun, but it expired in May.