Lake City police arrested an 18-year-old early Wednesday and charged him with discharging a firearm in public after an automatic detection system twice alerted police to gunshots. 

The Flock Safety system first detected gunshots around 3 a.m. near the Napa Auto Parts store on SW Nassau Street, according to a Lake City Police press release. An additional two shots were fired several blocks away while the police were searching around the Napa store, and the Flock system issued another alert for 654 SW Baya Drive. 

The police officers who responded to the call found Chase N. Harris, 18, and a 13-year-old on the sidewalk along Southwest Baya Drive. 
 
Harris lifted his shirt and showed police a firearm stuck in his waistband. He complied with officers, removed the weapon and was taken into custody.  

Harris and the 13-year-old initially told police that he found the gun and fired it accidentally, but the two later changed their story and told police that Harris had been in possession of the weapon and had fired it multiple times. 

In addition to discharging a firearm in public, Harris was also charged with carrying a concealed firearm and contributing to the delinquency of a child. 
 
Officers collected 9mm shell casings from both scenes. The 13-year-old was turned over to a parent after questioning, and Harris was arrested and taken to the Columbia County Detention Center.  

“The technology we’ve invested in, such as the FLOCK gunshot detection system, continues to play a vital role in helping our officers respond swiftly and prevent further violence,” Chief of Police Gerald Butler said in the press release. “This incident could have easily ended in tragedy, and I commend our officers for their quick, professional response.”