Amber Alert Canceled: Florida Police Now Say Missing Teen Was Not Kidnapped
Update (1555ET): An Amber Alert for a missing Florida teen has been canceled, hours after police initially said Caden Speight, 17, had been shot and kidnapped.
Police officials initially said Speight was the victim of a shooting after finding his truck. Then they issued a subsequent statement that was unclear as to whether he had actually been shot. Now, the Marion County Sheriff's Office says "Detectives obtained information and collected evidence that is unsupportive of the initially reported facts."
The department now says there's no evidence he was kidnapped or in the company of others. So, WTF...
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A story is developing out of Marion County, North Central Florida, where a 17-year-old boy named Caden Speight, who was allegedly wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat, went missing Thursday after reportedly being shot and abducted by "Hispanics in a light-colored van," according to local media.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued a statewide Amber Alert on Thursday for Speight, who was reportedly shot and abducted by "four unknown males, possibly Hispanic" in Dunnellon, Marion County, about 80 miles northwest of Orlando. Police have found Speight's truck but have not yet located him.
🚨BREAKING: Amber Alert issued for a
— Dapper Detective (@Dapper_Det) September 26, 2025
17-year-old boy that has reportedly been shot and kidnapped by 4 Hispanic males in Florida.
The hallmarks of a cartel style kidnapping here. pic.twitter.com/jCOx2oGb0p
According to local media outlet 352today:
Investigators say he may be traveling with four unknown males, possibly Hispanic, in a light-colored van. Local reporting adds he may have been wearing a red "Make America Great Again" hat at the time of disappearance.
The Independent...
Another local outlet, WCJB, cited a Facebook post from Speight's family that included a message from Caden: "I need help. Four Hispanics in a white van, one driver. I'm shot."
Images of Caden's truck.
The question becomes whether this is a cartel-style abduction... Remember, certain cartels have been designated foreign terrorist organizations.