Maryland Teen Fatally Shot During Puerto Rico Vacation

A Maryland teenager, Tommy Grays III, tragically lost his life during a family vacation in Puerto Rico when he was shot during a fight that also injured his uncle and stepfather. 

The incident occurred on July 1 at an Isla Verde beach, and local authorities have characterized it as a "targeted shooting" that followed an argument, according to NBC 4.

Tommy Grays, the father of the slain teenager, revealed that his son had actually intervened and resolved the situation before the shooter retrieved his gun. 

However, as Grays explained to NBC 4, when his son and stepfather were in the water on the beach, the assailant returned and started shooting at them.

Grays expressed his grief and frustration, stating that people on the island were wrongly portraying his son as the aggressor. 

He emphasized that his son was an innocent teenager who never engaged in physical fights and did not possess any violent tendencies. 

He found it nonsensical and unjust that his son's character was being misinterpreted in such a way.

Tommy Grays III was a rising 12th grader at James Hubert Blake High School in Montgomery, Maryland, and he had been eagerly looking forward to his senior year. 

Unfortunately, he will never have the opportunity to experience his first day as a senior, leaving his family devastated by the tragic loss.

This incident marks the third tourist death in Puerto Rico within the past two months. 

Tommy Grays believes that efforts to protect the tourism industry on the island have led locals to wrongly blame visitors for these deadly encounters. He stated that the perception has been twisted to portray the tourist as the aggressor, contrary to the reality of the situation.

Comments