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Florida authorities say 17-year-old Caden Speight staged his own abduction, shot himself in the leg, and triggered a large-scale search before being arrested. Investigators found a bullet hole in his truck’s windshield, suspected blood, drag marks, and bicycle tracks, and allege he bought a bike and camping gear at Walmart and searched ChatGPT about cartels and painless blood collection. Multiple agencies, helicopters, and a public alert were deployed. Located the next day with his father’s gun, Speight faces several charges and has bonded out. His attorney did not immediately return a request for comment.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.