Florida teen Bradey Ming intentionally set friend on fire in horrifying prank caught on camera

A shocking incident occurred on Kauffman Island in the middle of Lake Kerr, Florida, where a 17-year-old teen named Bradey Ming was arrested for felony aggravated battery. The incident involved Ming intentionally setting his friend on fire by throwing gasoline on him while their peers laughed and filmed the horrifying prank.

The disturbing event took place on January 11, 2026, as the group of friends was sitting around a bonfire on the island, drinking alcohol. Ming, for reasons unknown, began “messing” with a gas can, eventually dousing the fire with gasoline, causing flames to shoot up in the air. Cell phone footage obtained by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office captured the entire incident.

In the video, laughter can be heard in the background as Ming posed a chilling question to the group, “Do you want to be on fire?” He proceeded to pour gasoline onto the fire before running towards his friend, who was sitting down, and dumping the flammable liquid at the teen’s feet and legs. The friend quickly became engulfed in flames as he ran away from the line of fire created by Ming, while the other boys laughed.

The teens urged the burning boy to jump into the nearby lake to extinguish the flames. The victim suffered burns on the back of his legs, arms, and hands and was flown to UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville. Doctors diagnosed him with second-degree burns on his right hand, leg, and buttocks, as well as “deep full-thickness burns” on the lower parts of both legs and his left thigh.

Initially, the unidentified teen told his mother that he was throwing a bottle of gasoline at a fire when it burst into flames in his hand. However, the boy’s father discovered the video of Ming and contacted the sheriff’s office. The victim admitted that he lied to his parents because Ming told him not to disclose the incident, making it difficult for him to talk about.

Ming eventually turned himself over to the police after hugging his weeping mom in a parking lot, leading to his arrest. He is currently being held in Marion County without bail. Despite the incident, the victim reportedly stated that he was “cool” with Ming after his hospitalization.

A witness who provided an accurate account of the events confirmed that Ming had chased the teen and ignited the fire using gasoline. The witness also mentioned that the group had built a bonfire due to the cold weather and that Ming’s actions were not malicious, with no prior argument between the friends before the incident took place.