🔥💀 “Just a Prank” Turns Criminal: Florida Teen Ignites Gasoline Trail Toward Friend at Bonfire, Leaving Him Hospitalized With Severe Burns

The chilling incident unfolded on a remote island in the heart of Florida’s Lake Kerr, where a seemingly ordinary teenage hangout spiraled into a nightmare of flames, screams, and irreversible consequences. On January 11, 2026, a group of teenage boys—underage, fueled by alcohol, and gathered around a roaring bonfire—witnessed (and captured on video) one of the most disturbing “pranks” imaginable: 17-year-old Bradey Ming deliberately pouring a trail of gasoline toward his friend, igniting it, and setting the boy ablaze.

The footage, later uncovered by the victim’s own father, has since gone viral, sparking outrage, debates about teenage recklessness, peer pressure, and the thin line between youthful stupidity and criminal intent. What began as a casual bonfire on Kauffman Island—a small, isolated spot accessible only by boat or Jet Ski—ended with one teen hospitalized with severe, life-altering burns and another facing up to 15 years in prison on felony aggravated battery charges.

A Remote Gathering Turns Deadly

Kauffman Island sits in Lake Kerr, a sprawling body of water in Marion County, north-central Florida. The area is known for its quiet, natural beauty: pine forests, sandy shores, and a sense of seclusion that draws locals seeking escape from everyday life. For teenagers, it’s a perfect spot for unsupervised parties—far from prying adult eyes, reachable by Jet Ski across the lake.

According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office arrest affidavit, on that fateful January evening, four teenage boys—including Bradey Ming and his friend (whose name has been withheld due to his age and status as a victim)—traveled by Jet Ski to the island. They built a large bonfire on the sand, cracked open drinks, and settled in for what they likely expected to be a typical night of underage drinking and hanging out.

Alcohol flowed freely, loosening inhibitions and clouding judgment. At some point, a canister of gasoline—likely brought for starting or feeding the fire—entered the picture. Bradey Ming picked it up and began “messing around” with it, according to police descriptions. Cell phone video captured the escalating sequence in horrifying clarity.

First, Ming splashed extra gasoline onto the already blazing bonfire, sending flames shooting higher into the night sky. Laughter erupted from the group. Then, turning toward his seated friend, Ming uttered the chilling words: “You wanna be on fire?”

The victim, lounging on the sand near the fire, may have thought it was just talk. But Ming didn’t stop. He poured more gasoline onto the fire and, crucially, continued the flow, creating a deliberate trail of the volatile liquid snaking across the sand directly toward where his friend sat.

Panic set in almost immediately. The victim leapt to his feet and bolted. But it was too late. The gasoline trail ignited in a whoosh of orange and heat, racing toward him like a fuse. Flames erupted at his feet, climbing his legs, licking up his back, and engulfing his arms and hands. He became a human torch, sprinting toward the dark water of Lake Kerr in sheer terror.

The boy filming the scene—another friend in the group—can be heard screaming, “Oh my God! Oh my God! Get in the lake, get in the lake!” amid bursts of nervous laughter. The victim plunged into the cold water, extinguishing the flames through sheer desperation. When he staggered back out, shocked and in agony, his friends yelled at him to “get back in the water”—a frantic, instinctive attempt to cool the burns.

The victim suffered deep, full-thickness second-degree burns across much of his body: his legs, the backs of his arms, his hands, and his buttocks. The injuries were so severe that he had to be airlifted to UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, a leading burn center, for emergency treatment. Recovery would involve intense pain, potential skin grafts, long-term scarring, and possible permanent disfigurement or mobility issues.

The Cover-Up Unravels

In the immediate aftermath, the victim initially lied to his mother about how the burns occurred. He claimed he had been throwing a water bottle filled with gasoline into the fire when it exploded in his hands—an accidental mishap that sounded plausible enough in the moment.

But the truth couldn’t stay buried. The victim’s father, suspicious or perhaps tipped off by inconsistencies, discovered the horrifying cell phone footage. Seeing his son deliberately doused and set ablaze shattered any illusion of an accident. Confronted with the evidence, the victim admitted what really happened. He revealed that Bradey Ming had even instructed him not to tell anyone the real story.

Devastated and furious, the family contacted the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators responded swiftly. On January 26, they interviewed the victim and his mother at the hospital. The video evidence, combined with witness statements, painted a clear picture of intentional harm.

Bradey Ming, facing the inevitability of arrest, turned himself in shortly after. Dramatic photos captured the moment: the 17-year-old, looking somber, hugging his sobbing mother in a parking lot before walking into custody. He was booked into Marion County Jail without bail, charged with felony aggravated battery—a second-degree felony under Florida law.

The charge alleges that Ming intentionally caused serious bodily injury, defined as harm creating a substantial risk of death, permanent disfigurement, or permanent disability. Conviction carries a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison, probation, and fines reaching $10,000.

Voices from the Aftermath

The victim, despite his grievous injuries, has expressed a surprising stance. He told investigators he is “cool” with Ming and remains unsure why his friend did what he did. In one recollection, he remembered Ming asking something along the lines of “do you want to be set on fire?” before the act. Yet there’s no indication of deep-seated malice or prior conflict—just a moment of twisted, alcohol-fueled “fun” gone catastrophically wrong.

One witness claimed Ming “was not acting maliciously,” suggesting the act stemmed from reckless showmanship rather than hatred. The laughter in the video—nervous, shocked, disbelieving—underscores how the group may have viewed it as a prank until the flames took over.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office emphasized the danger: playing with accelerants around fire, especially while intoxicated, can turn deadly in seconds. “This was no accident,” investigators implied through the charge. The case highlights broader issues among teens: underage drinking, access to dangerous substances, and the normalization of risky behavior in isolated settings.

The Human Toll and Lingering Questions

For the victim, the physical scars are only part of the story. Burn injuries like his require months or years of treatment—debridement, dressings, physical therapy, and psychological support for trauma. The pain is excruciating; the emotional impact, profound. Will he ever regain full use of his limbs? Will the scars affect his self-image, relationships, future opportunities?

For Bradey Ming, the legal road ahead is daunting. As a juvenile (though 17 and potentially tried as an adult depending on proceedings), he faces life-altering consequences. A felony conviction could mean prison time, a permanent record, and shattered prospects. His mother’s tears in that parking lot photo speak to the ripple effect on families.

And for the friends who watched, filmed, and laughed? Their role—passive or complicit—raises uncomfortable questions about bystander responsibility and peer pressure. Why didn’t anyone intervene sooner? Why record instead of stop?

This incident is a stark reminder that “pranks” involving fire and fuel are never harmless. Gasoline vapors are highly flammable; a single spark can transform a joke into tragedy. In Florida’s warm climate, bonfires are common, but mixing them with alcohol and accelerants is a recipe for disaster.

As the case proceeds through the courts, the video will likely be scrutinized frame by frame. Was it intentional cruelty or catastrophic misjudgment? The answer will determine Bradey Ming’s fate—and serve as a cautionary tale for generations of teens tempted to push boundaries too far.

In the end, what happened on Kauffman Island wasn’t just a prank gone wrong. It was a moment when youthful bravado collided with physics and chemistry, leaving one boy burned, one boy charged, and an entire community grappling with how easily fun can turn to horror.