16-Year-Old Fatally Stabs Teen at Florida Sleepover in Premeditated Attack, Police Say

A 16-year-old boy forced his way into a Florida home and fatally stabbed a 15-year-old hosting a sleepover, according to police.

Alexander Hernandez walked nearly six miles on Saturday night to the victim’s Wildwood home, arriving unannounced and banging on the front door around 10 p.m., according to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.

When the 15-year-old victim, Connor Michael Gill, opened the door, Hernandez fought his way inside and allegedly stabbed him. A 48-year-old adult in the home ran to intervene and was also stabbed. Hernandez then threatened a third person before fleeing on foot, police said.

“This was no doubt a premeditated and targeted attack,” said Undersheriff Pat Breeden. Both victims were airlifted to a hospital where Gill was pronounced dead around 1:20 p.m. The unidentified adult remains in the ICU in stable condition, Breeden added.

Hernandez was later found by a police helicopter and taken into custody, carrying two weapons he had ordered online. He told detectives he received the weapons on Saturday, played with them briefly, and then headed to the victim’s home.

Hernandez is charged with premeditated first-degree murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and armed burglary. The motive for the attack remains unclear. Both teens were homeschooled, but it is not clear how they knew each other.