'Irreversible Harm': Florida Teen Charged After Friend Is Set on Fire

A 17-year-old boy from Florida has been charged with a felony following an incident at the beach where he is seen splashing gas on another boy and subsequently setting him on fire. The incident, which was caught on camera and apparently filmed on 11 January 2026, had been reported to the authorities.

A widespread video footage of a teenage boy dousing the flame with petrol, then proceeding to create a trail of petrol on the sand before splashing fuel on a nearby boy, who instantly caught fire. The frantic boy can be seen running towards the lake to put out the flames. The boy was taken to the hospital and ended up with second-degree burns on his right leg and on his right hand. According to deputies, he also sustained 'deep full thickness burns' on his lower right leg and lower left leg, as well as on his left thigh.

In a report by Fox 35, 17-year-old Bradey Ming is facing a felony aggravated battery charge and is booked into the Marion County Juvenile Justice Center. Bradey Ming turned himself in and is being held in custody without bail. The investigation by Marion County police revealed that a deputy was dispatched to a Gainesville children's hospital to look into the case of a boy who was set on fire.

Authorities say the deputy had seen the footage of Ming setting his friend on fire on Kauffman Island at Lake Kerr. The victim had reportedly told his mother he had tried to hurl a water bottle onto the fire, causing it to erupt and causing his burns. The boy's father, however, saw the footage of Bradey Ming setting him on fire, prompting him to contact the authorities.

Prank Gone Wrong

In the video, the boy, Ming and some other friends were having drinks around the bonfire by the lake. The victim told authorities he was about 10 feet away from the fire when Ming asked him, 'Do you want to be set on fire?'

The victim, who admitted everyone in the video had had alcohol, also told the investigators that Ming was messing with the petrol can and had created a trail with the gas before pouring it on him. As the trail led to him, he immediately caught fire as soon as the trail ignited. The person taking the video could be heard saying, 'Put it out, put it out!' He could also be heard saying, 'I'm sorry, Bradey' at the beginning of the video.

Accounts from a witness state that the group of teenage boys started a fire to stay warm, and 17-year-old Bradey Ming had reportedly used gasoline to start the fire. Using the video as the basis, the investigator stated that any 'reasonable' person can resolve that gasoline and fire could result in injury.

The victim, who ran towards the lake to extinguish the fire, was taken by his friends back to shore on jet skis. After being taken to the HCA Putnam Hospital, which was closest to where the incident took place, the victim was life-flighted to UF Shands Children's Hospital in Gainesville where he was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

This incident highlights peer pressure and the need for better education on dangerous situations for the youth. Society has seen many teens nowadays who do not acknowledge the danger and legal and societal consequences of being reckless until it happens to them.