Sheriff’s office: Customs officer targeted in shooting

ORANGE PARK, Fla. – Authorities say a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer shot by a teenager outside a Florida grocery store had been targeted for being a law enforcement officer.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office said on social media Wednesday that 18-year-old Thomas Jacob Lewis IV shot the uniformed officer multiple times Tuesday afternoon as he carried bags of groceries to his vehicle.

Authorities said Lewis then shot and killed himself after driving a short distance away across the parking lot.

The officer was hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday morning. The sheriff’s office said he had been targeted for being a law enforcement officer.

Lewis had an active arrest warrant for sale and delivery of narcotics. The sheriff’s office did not say whether the officer and the teen had any previous contact.