Girl, 17, critical after being shot in head during Sanford drive-by shooting

SANFORD, Fla. - A 17-year-old girl is fighting for her life after Sanford police say someone shot her in the head during a drive-by shooting. She's the latest victim in a string of shootings involving teenagers.

"It's very disturbing," Sanford Police public information officer Bianca Gillett said Tuesday.

The shooting happened at about 7 p.m. Monday near 1st Drive and Scott Drive while Layla Jade Bennett and another girl her age were standing outside a home. A bullet grazed the girl.

According to a GoFundMe that Layla's mother created, Layla had to undergo emergency surgery.

"Layla has so much to give this world, so many lives to touch and was just 16 days from graduation and ready to start her journey as a paramedic/firefighter."

A witness, who did not want to be identified, recalls hearing multiple gunshots before seeing a red SUV speed away.

"This is in the middle of the day with a bunch of people around, so these people obviously did not care about people seeing this," he said. "We have two children in the house that could have been outside playing. I mean, our house got hit twice. Our trash cans, too. It's scary."

Several hours earlier in the day, Sanford police also responded to a shooting near West 9th Street and South Holly Ave., where a 16-year-old boy was shot.

"He was walking down the street, a dark-colored sedan drove past, kind of circled, and then opened fire on him, striking him once in the leg," Gillett said.

None of the suspects in either of the shootings have been caught. It's possible they may be teenagers themselves.

"We need the community to come forward with us, to work with us, not just the community, but the parents and relatives and friends of these young adults that are making these decisions," Gillett said.

The department will be increasing patrols in the areas where the shootings happened. As for a possible motive, investigators believe arguments on social media among teenagers may be to blame.