FL CADEN SPEIGHT: Missing from Marion County, FL - 25 Sept 2025 - Age 17 *Found Safe*

AMBER Alert Issued for 17-Year-Old Caden Speight After Marion County Shooting

Authorities in Marion County, Florida, have issued an AMBER Alert for 17-year-old Caden Speight of Dunnellon, who went missing following a shooting on Thursday afternoon. Deputies confirm that Cad…

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AMBER Alert issued for 17-year-old Caden Speight after Marion County Shooting
Authorities in Marion County, Florida have issued an AMBER Alert for 17-year-old Caden Speight of Dunnellon, who went missing following a shooting on Thursday afternoon.

Deputies confirm that Caden was wounded during the incident near the 12800 block of SW Highway 484 while driving a work truck. After the shooting, he was reportedly taken by four unknown males, possibly Hispanic, who may be traveling in a light-colored van.
Media - CADEN SPEIGHT: Missing from Marion County, FL - 25 Sept 2025 - Age 17

 

[GrandmaBear]

Just came across this one.

Sure, make them Hispanic in the false story.

He should have to pay them back for the search efforts and have other consequences imo.

 

[Kimster]

What about the report that there was a bullet hole in his vehicle? I saw that somewhere. Probably more rumor.

 

[Guess Who]

What about the report that there was a bullet hole in his vehicle? I saw that somewhere. Probably more rumor.

Or he shot it himself.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Foundation may seek false report charges after canceled Amber Alert for Marion County teen

The Uvalde Foundation For Kids said Friday it may pursue false report charges after authorities canceled the Amber Alert for 17-year-old Caden Speight, who has been safely located in Florida.

www.local10.com

Florida law allows for criminal charges in such cases. Under Florida Statute 817.49, knowingly filing a false report can be a first-degree misdemeanor, or a third- or second-degree felony if the false report leads to serious injury or death.

The statute allows penalties for giving false information in alleged capital felonies, including up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Courts can also require restitution for costs incurred by law enforcement.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Or he shot it himself.

My thought too. Would be surprised if the ballistics didn't match a gun he had access to.

 

[RoundPeg]

Foundation may seek false report charges after canceled Amber Alert for Marion County teen

The Uvalde Foundation For Kids said Friday it may pursue false report charges after authorities canceled the Amber Alert for 17-year-old Caden Speight, who has been safely located in Florida.

www.local10.com

Florida law allows for criminal charges in such cases. Under Florida Statute 817.49, knowingly filing a false report can be a first-degree misdemeanor, or a third- or second-degree felony if the false report leads to serious injury or death.

The statute allows penalties for giving false information in alleged capital felonies, including up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Courts can also require restitution for costs incurred by law enforcement.

Will they need to charge him as an adult to use that statute?

 

[Guess Who]

Will they need to charge him as an adult to use that statute?

I'm not seeing that criteria listed. It just says they are contemplating charging him.

Foundation officials said they could pursue charges against Speight if it is confirmed the report was intentionally false.
Daniel Chapin, founder of the Uvalde Foundation, said the incident highlighted the consequences of false reports.
“The resources and time we dedicate to finding a missing child are sacred, and we act on the highest presumption of danger when an Amber Alert is issued,” Chapin said. “This case tragically demonstrates the profound cost of a false report. We wasted countless volunteer hours, expended funds on a reward and extensive search efforts, and utilized our sophisticated school threat database.”
Chapin added that the foundation will seek formal charges if authorities confirm the incident was a “deliberate hoax.”
Florida law allows for criminal charges in such cases. Under Florida Statute 817.49, knowingly filing a false report can be a first-degree misdemeanor, or a third- or second-degree felony if the false report leads to serious injury or death.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

The Uvalde Foundation isn't law enforcement though, so I'm not sure how they can contemplate any charges at all. They might file a complaint which leads to LE charging him... LE themselves haven't said anything about charges at this point. But he needs to be charged. Forced to pay restitution. Community service. All of the above.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Here they can be waived into adult court at 17.

I figured he shot the gun to create the bullet hole or it was old (less likely). He was making his account look real or trying to as he didn't do a very good job of it.

 

[RoundPeg]

The Uvalde Foundation isn't law enforcement though, so I'm not sure how they can contemplate any charges at all. They might file a complaint which leads to LE charging him... LE themselves haven't said anything about charges at this point. But he needs to be charged. Forced to pay restitution. Community service. All of the above.

I was just looking them up. They're a non profit 501(c)(3) out of Temple, Texas.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Look up "Uvalde Foundation controversy" for some other details. They've been popping up in a LOT of cases lately, and I'm not sure how I feel about them.

 

[RoundPeg]

Look up "Uvalde Foundation controversy" for some other details. They've been popping up in a LOT of cases lately, and I'm not sure how I feel about them.

I'm doing my knee jerk "someone is getting rich off of tragedy" reaction.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I've seen Uvalde pop up in several cases. I don't know enough about them to have an opinion.

What I do know however is I don't automatically trust a "search" group or a nonprofit either. There are tons of types of nonprofits and some are good and some are not. Unfortunately many a person doesn't question such and donates or defends any such groups without knowing.

Also, some (not this one clearly) use names really close to a real well thought of group or nonprofit.

I forget what case it was in but it came out that there were two Cajun Navy groups, I think the real one pointed it out that the ones searching were NOT them. The names are so close I can't recall nor keep them straight unfortunately. The second one clearly came close to cloning the name.

And as we know, the group cannot bring charges in this case, only the State can. They could try suing civilly to get their expenditures back,

Jmo.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Uh, yeah. I think we all knew that.

‘Hoax’: Missing Marion County 17-year-old lied about his disappearance, deputies say

Marion County Sheriff’s Office officials are calling the disappearance of Caden Speight, 17, a hoax.

www.wcjb.com

‘Hoax’: Missing Marion County 17-year-old lied about his disappearance, deputies say​

Marion County Sheriff’s Office officials are calling the disappearance of Caden Speight, 17, last week a “hoax” in response to questions from TV20.


Many of the details initially released about his disappearance were based on a text message Caden sent to his mom. He told her that he’d been shot and kidnapped by four Hispanic men in a light-colored van.

Investigators have since learned those details were made up by Caden. Deputies say the teen simply left the area on a bicycle he’d purchased earlier in the day.

He was found on Friday around noon in Williston. Deputies say he shot himself in the leg with a handgun, causing a non-life-threatening injury, shortly before coming out of hiding.

“There is ZERO chance that Caden’s gunshot wound came from any type of assailant,” posted Sheriff Billy Woods on social media.

At this time, the 17-year-old has not been charged with any crimes for the alleged false reports; however, the sheriff says charges are still on the table.

Woods says Caden’s parents are preventing his detectives from questioning him.

 

[Guess Who]

I'm reading this as he shot himself in the leg while at his hiding spot, which makes sense with the witness seeing no evidence of injury. He was really going to keep that story going, it seems.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I'm going to say it, not nice, but what a stupid kid. He may have thought he planned well with the bike and tent, shooting the truck and when desperate himself with a non fatal wound but clearly he knows little about a good story, cameras, and more. He is 17 so the parents would have been able to access his bank account, did he buy the items with cash or card... They found the Walmart purchase and that he'd been there and that would be my guess as to how.

Now they are protecting him--the parents, from his stupidity. I don't agree with that either.

I wonder what his reason was for doing all this...

I AM glad he is safe, just caused a ton of trouble, efforts and looks like a fool and I hope he knows that.

 

[RoundPeg]

Uh, yeah. I think we all knew that.

‘Hoax’: Missing Marion County 17-year-old lied about his disappearance, deputies say

Marion County Sheriff’s Office officials are calling the disappearance of Caden Speight, 17, a hoax.

www.wcjb.com

‘Hoax’: Missing Marion County 17-year-old lied about his disappearance, deputies say​

Marion County Sheriff’s Office officials are calling the disappearance of Caden Speight, 17, last week a “hoax” in response to questions from TV20.


Many of the details initially released about his disappearance were based on a text message Caden sent to his mom. He told her that he’d been shot and kidnapped by four Hispanic men in a light-colored van.

Investigators have since learned those details were made up by Caden. Deputies say the teen simply left the area on a bicycle he’d purchased earlier in the day.

He was found on Friday around noon in Williston. Deputies say he shot himself in the leg with a handgun, causing a non-life-threatening injury, shortly before coming out of hiding.

“There is ZERO chance that Caden’s gunshot wound came from any type of assailant,” posted Sheriff Billy Woods on social media.

At this time, the 17-year-old has not been charged with any crimes for the alleged false reports; however, the sheriff says charges are still on the table.

Woods says Caden’s parents are preventing his detectives from questioning him.

How can they block him from being questioned unless there's a lawyer involved?

 

[Kimster]

How can they block him from being questioned unless there's a lawyer involved?

I was wondering the same thing, but I guess it’s because his parents are protecting him and saying he’s not going to talk to them. Helicopter parents?

 

[RoundPeg]

I was wondering the same thing, but I guess it’s because his parents are protecting him and saying he’s not going to talk to them. Helicopter parents?

Or worried. About how much this little fiasco is going to cost.

 

[Guess Who]

How can they block him from being questioned unless there's a lawyer involved?

I would bet that there is indeed an attorney involved.