AMBER ALERT FL - Caden Speight, 17, kidnapped by 4 unknown men in light-colored van, do not approach, last seen 12800 block SW Hwy 484, Dunellon, 25 Sep 2025

[Emerald1328]

Any witnesses hear a gunshot?

jmo

Not that I’ve seen anywhere. I’ve actually not even heard a hint of there being a witness to this incident, but to be clear I’m not saying it didn’t happen. No mention of any witnesses to the incident at all have been shared.

 

[Knox]

JMO, I think his Mom may have called 911 after Caden contacted her. Which opens a whole other line of questions.

They didn’t want his vehicle, it was left at the scene. Apparently they wanted him? Why would four hispanic males want a 17 year old kid? Why shoot him, then take him away?

If he did indeed contact Mom, was he able to do that after he was shot and before they grabbed him? Was his phone found at the scene?

 

[Emerald1328]

JMO, I think his Mom may have called 911 after Caden contacted her. Which opens a whole other line of questions.

They didn’t want his vehicle, it was left at the scene. Apparently they wanted him? Why would four hispanic males want a 17 year old kid? Why shoot him, then take him away?

If he did indeed contact Mom, was he able to do that after he was shot and before they grabbed him? Was his phone found at the scene?

According to family, it was found broken in half at the scene.

 

[Knox]

This one is super strange. This is something you’d expect in Mexico or something (I follow a lot of cartel stuff), but not something that happens with any regularity here.

Not saying he’s involved in drugs or anything, just the MO.

Considering he’s wounded and the lengths they went to abduct him, I really don’t see a happy ending here.

Doesn’t seem like a kid who would be involved in anything unsavory, but I guess that remains to be seen. Was he on the way home after school I wonder? This all seems so random and weird!!

 

[MassGuy]

According to family, it was found broken in half at the scene.

I have to say it, because it’s a possibility, but we do have to keep an open mind as far as some sort of hoax goes.

Really no reason to break a phone in half (just leave it), and this whole thing is just so unusual that I’m totally open to things not being as they appear to be.

 

[Knox]

I have to say it, because it’s a possibility, but we do have to keep an open mind as far as some sort of hoax goes.

Really no reason to break a phone in half (just leave it), and this whole thing is just so unusual that I’m totally open to things not being as they appear to be.

Thinking about how you could even do that without a tool of some sort, that’s alot of time and effort at a shooting/abduction crime scene?

 

[Deepinthought52]

If he was going home from school, let’s say, I wonder if the van was seen on the school property at all on any cameras from the destination he would have been going from up until the point that he sent the text

 

[MassGuy]

Thinking about how you could even do that without a tool of some sort, that’s alot of time and effort at a shooting/abduction crime scene?

Even if it’s not literal and the phone was just damaged, it’s just a bit odd. As long as the phone doesn’t go with you, it’s not a danger.

I’m just getting shades of the Gabriel Davies case, only this seems more complex and thought out.

Assuming a real crime didn’t occur.

I just wish we had a bit more information, because my opinion could completely change if we had certain details.

 

[Deepinthought52]

I have to say it, because it’s a possibility, but we do have to keep an open mind as far as some sort of hoax goes.

Really no reason to break a phone in half (just leave it), and this whole thing is just so unusual that I’m totally open to things not being as they appear to be.

I’m sure they have to take in to account all situations, but if there is truly a situation where the kid is, unsafe I would think that would take top priority to rule out before realizing it was a hoax or something. Is he the type of kid that would do that to his family? From what it seems like no, although there are lots of troubled teens out there. I would think they would also look into his any computers he has or any text on the phone anything they can salvage… I am definitely curious, though if they found any kind of blood anywhere on the van that he had been driving or on the phone or anything like that on the ground, those kinds of things would be interesting to know

 

[Deepinthought52]

Nothing else about the case, but just the abandoned car with butt holes, brings back that case to mine in Oklahoma, where the mother and her friend were shot and taken somewhere else to be buried and it turned out to be a custody issue with the grandma and gang

 

[Knox]

Even if it’s not literal and the phone was just damaged, it’s just a bit odd. As long as the phone doesn’t go with you, it’s not a danger.

I’m just getting shades of the Gabriel Davies case, only this seems more complex and thought out.

Assuming a real crime didn’t occur.

I just wish we had a bit more information, because my opinion could completely change if we had certain details.

I think it would be more likely that one of them grabbed his phone and smashed it, as they were putting him in the van.

I’m leaning towards a real scenario, we just don’t know the motive yet.

 

[MassGuy]

I think it would be more likely that one of them grabbed his phone and smashed it, as they were putting him in the van.

I’m leaning towards a real scenario, we just don’t know the motive yet.

Here's my issue. He's apparently ambushed in his vehicle, and you'd assume this would be a quick event. Yet he's able to text his mom telling her that he'd been shot, and provide a description? It's one thing if he had his phone on him in this alleged van, but it was apparently found at the scene.

I just can't fathom him having that kind of time.

 

[Dreamcherry]

I have to say it, because it’s a possibility, but we do have to keep an open mind as far as some sort of hoax goes.

Really no reason to break a phone in half (just leave it), and this whole thing is just so unusual that I’m totally open to things not being as they appear to be.

Ok, thank you for saying it, because the 4 Hispanics in the white van is just waaaaaaay too on the nose for me. When has there actually ever been a white van? There's never a white van.

 

[Kip]

Maybe as he was driving, the people in the van started shooting at him, and at that point he dialed his mother. By the time she answered the call, a bullet had hit him, and he was able to tell his mother he had been shot.

 

[Savannahanon]

Maybe as he was driving, the people in the van started shooting at him, and at that point he dialed his mother. By the time she answered the call, a bullet had hit him, and he was able to tell his mother he had been shot.

He sent her a text with the info, not a phone call.

 

[whitelilac]

I'm with Knox above for now, this being a real scenario. Reason being that he said he was shot. If this was some weird caper or not real, I highly doubt this kid would shoot himself before he is found "safe".
Still, it's a unusual situation, with lots of questions.
As for motive...could be some violent creeps high on meth, out looking for a target?
Hope I'm wrong.

 

[diggndeeperstill]

The Facebook post about the shooting reported in the area has interesting comments as well.

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SHOOTING INVESTIGATION

Today, at around 4:10 p.m., Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) responded to the 12800 block of SW Highway 484, in Dunnellon, to a reported shooting. When deputies arrived, they located a vehicle that belonged to the victim, however the victim was not present and has not been located at this time. This investigation is ongoing and more information will be released as it becomes available.

If you were in the area at that time and have any information about this incident, please call MCSO at (352) 732-9111.

 

[Dreamcherry]

I'm with Knox above for now, this being a real scenario. Reason being that he said he was shot. If this was some weird caper or not real, I highly doubt this kid would shoot himself before he is found "safe".
Still, it's a unusual situation, with lots of questions.
As for motive...could be some violent creeps high on meth, out looking for a target?
Hope I'm wrong.

Maybe not a hoax to that extent, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if the text came from someone else entirely to lead people in the wrong direction, a la Luciano Frattolin.

 

[Deepinthought52]

Ok, thank you for saying it, because the 4 Hispanics in the white van is just waaaaaaay too on the nose for me. When has there actually ever been a white van? There's never a white van.

Sadly there are a lot of ‘em… to this day the white vans without windows creep me out!

 

[Deepinthought52]

Here's my issue. He's apparently ambushed in his vehicle, and you'd assume this would be a quick event. Yet he's able to text his mom telling her that he'd been shot, and provide a description? It's one thing if he had his phone on him in this alleged van, but it was apparently found at the scene.

I just can't fathom him having that kind of time.

Possibly as he pulled the car to a stop by the time they were able to get out and get him… it happened in Oklahoma… still feeling targeted event