A Florida teen locked in a suicide pact with his girlfriend died in a shootout with Highway Patrol after he opened fire on a trooper, officials said.
The Brevard County Sheriff's Office said investigators had determined the teen and his 16-year-old girlfriend had planned to drive to Ohio to commit suicide. At some point on their drive the duo pulled into a gas station to get food, where a Highway Patrol Trooper noticed broken headlights and approached the car, according to the sheriff's office.
The sheriff's office said that when the trooper was speaking to the couple the boy — who was in the passenger seat — took out a gun and started shooting. Authorities say Lt. Channing Taylor was struck in the shoulder before returning fire and killing the shooter.
The 16-year-old driver fled the scene but was apprehended after she crashed into another vehicle on the highway, the sheriff's office added, saying the girl has been charged with attempted murder of a law-enforcement officer and was being held without bond.
Taylor, a trooper for more than 20 years, has been placed on leave and is recuperating from his injuries.