Teenage boys have been doing stupid things since the dawn of time.
But what happened on a Florida island crossed the line from dumb into criminal.
And a Florida dad uncovered one video that sent a teen to jail for setting his friend on fire.
The victim’s father found the smoking gun that exposed the truth
Four teenagers took jet skis out to Kauffmans Island on Lake Kerr in Marion County on January 11 to drink alcohol and hang around a bonfire.
What started as a typical night of underage drinking turned into a nightmare nobody saw coming.
Bradey Ming, 17, started “messing” with a gas canister near the fire.
The video shows Ming pouring gasoline on the bonfire, causing the flames to shoot up in the air.
Ming asked the victim something like “Do you want to be set on fire?” according to the arrest affidavit.
Before anyone could react, Ming poured gasoline in a trail from the fire straight toward his friend who was sitting about 10 feet away.
The trail ignited instantly.
The victim’s entire body became engulfed in flames as his so-called friends laughed and filmed the whole thing.
“Oh my God! Oh my God!” one of the boys screamed.
“Get in the lake! Get in the lake!” someone else yelled while others continued laughing.
The burning teen ran into the lake to extinguish the flames.
He suffered second-degree burns on his right hand, leg, and buttocks.
Doctors also found “deep full-thickness burns” on the lower parts of both legs and his left thigh.
The victim was life-flighted to UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville where he was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit.
The lie that almost let a criminal walk free
The victim initially told his mother that he tried to throw a water bottle containing gasoline into the fire when it erupted and burned his legs.
That story would have been the end of it.
Bradey Ming would have walked away scot-free if not for one thing.
The victim’s father discovered video of the incident that told a completely different story than what his son claimed.
The dad immediately contacted the Marion County Sheriff’s Office with the footage.
When deputies questioned the victim again, he admitted the truth.
Ming told him not to say anything about what really happened.
The victim said the incident was “hard to talk about.”
He claimed he thought he was “cool” with Ming and couldn’t understand why Ming set him on fire.
A witness who recorded the incident confirmed to deputies that the footage showed “an accurate depiction of what occurred.”
The witness said the group built the bonfire because it was cold and Ming used gasoline to get it started.
According to the witness, there was no argument between the teens and Ming didn’t act with any obvious malicious intent.
But deputies didn’t buy that excuse for a second.
An investigator stated that any “reasonable person can conclude that the gasoline would cause great bodily injury.”
Florida doesn’t play games with juvenile criminals
Ming’s mother refused to let him speak to deputies on the advice of an attorney.
But the video evidence spoke for itself.
Ming turned himself in on January 29 and was charged with felony aggravated battery.
Video of his arrest shows Ming hugging his weeping mother in a parking lot before being taken into custody.
He’s being held without bond at the Marion County Juvenile Justice Center.
The “just a prank” defense doesn’t fly when you send someone to the ICU with life-altering burns.
Ming used an accelerant while drunk at a social event.
Any reasonable person would know that combination could cause great bodily harm.
Florida has been cracking down hard on juvenile crime as violent incidents involving teenagers continue making headlines.
Just two months ago, two Florida teens were charged with premeditated murder after shooting a 14-year-old girl and setting her body on fire in Santa Rosa County.
The Marion County incident shows how quickly teenage stupidity can turn into a felony charge.
Those laughing teens filming on their phones never thought their friend would end up in jail facing serious prison time, but that’s exactly what happened when one father refused to accept his son’s lie and demanded the truth.
Sources:
- Michelle Spitzer, “Florida teens video as friend sprays gas on teen, sets him on fire,” USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida, February 5, 2026.
- Nicholas McEntyre, “Florida teen busted for setting friend on fire as peers laugh, disturbing video shows,” New York Post, February 6, 2026.
- Emma Crabtree, “Sick moment teen ‘intentionally’ sets friend on fire with gasoline as laughing buddies look on in horrific prank,” The Sun, February 6, 2026.
- FOX 35 Orlando, “Florida teen facing felony battery charge after setting friend on fire, deputies say,” February 4, 2026.
