Two teens arrested after shooting outside St. Petersburg dance

ST. PETERSBURG — Two teenagers were arrested early Thursday after shots were fired outside a teen dance, police said.

At 12:10 a.m., police went to the RD Sports Lounge, 2710 Central Ave., to investigate a report of gunshots. The first two officers who arrived heard shots and saw a group of up to 100 people around the front of the building. The youngest person in the area was 12, and police later discovered it was a teen dance.

When the two officers approached a group of kids, two started running. The officers thought they might be involved in the shooting so they started chasing them.

One of the fleeing teens was 18-year-old Eric Jones. The other was 16-year-old Dondre English.

Officers drew their weapons and told the two to stop running. At some point, English took a gun out of his pocket and threw it over a fence while running, police said.

Eventually the officers took English and Jones into custody and retrieved the gun and a spent shell casing that didn't fully eject and jammed the weapon.

English was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, carrying a concealed weapon, resisting arrest without violence and a probation violation from a previous felony.

Jones was cited with resisting arrest without violence. He remained in Pinellas County jail Thursday in lieu of $150 bail.