A 17-year-old boy was arrested on a slew of gun-related charges after he allegedly fired multiple shots at a juvenile victim who was attending a homecoming bonfire party in Ocala.
On Sunday, September 28, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office received reports of a shooting incident that had occurred the previous night during a bonfire party. Several hundred people were in attendance, and the party was being held at the incident location to celebrate Forest High School’s homecoming, according to the arrest report.
A witness who attended the party on Saturday, September 27, informed MCSO that a “group of boys” got into a physical altercation. During the fight, a male suspect, later identified as 17-year-old Zachary Arthur Charles Sarrach, allegedly pulled out a handgun and fired it at a juvenile victim.
MCSO stated that the victim was not wounded in the shooting.
Multiple people witnessed the shooting, and video footage of the incident was shared on several social media platforms, according to the report.
In one of those videos, Sarrach and several other individuals were seen chasing after the victim. The report stated that “distant gunshots” were heard shortly after Sarrach and the victim “exit(ed) the camera’s view.”
Another social media video was viewed by detectives, which showed the male suspect firing several shots at the victim. A detective with the Ocala Police Department saw a still photo of the suspect, which was taken from this video, and the detective was able to positively identify Sarrach as the shooter in this case based on prior interactions with him, according to MCSO.
The sheriff’s office stated that while investigating Sarrach, detectives discovered that he had deactivated his social media accounts and “expressed intentions to flee to Daytona.”
On Tuesday, October 28, Sarrach was taken into custody. After being read his Miranda rights, Sarrach allegedly admitted to being involved in the fight that occurred at the bonfire, according to the report.
During the post-Miranda interview, Sarrach allegedly stated that he “felt outnumbered” during the fight, which prompted him to pull out a handgun that had been located in his waistband. He then allegedly threatened to shoot anyone who tried to attack him, though the report stated that he denied firing the handgun, according to the report.
A criminal history search of Sarrach revealed that he was adjudicated delinquent in March of 2023 for multiple charges that included carrying a concealed firearm and possessing a firearm by a minor.
Sarrach was placed under arrest and transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice. He is being charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a firearm by a minor, carrying a concealed firearm, public discharge of a firearm, and use of a firearm during the commission of a felony.