Amber alert teen Caden Speight stages fake abduction, MAGA goes nuts, kid now facing ‘harsh consequences’

Yesterday, the MAGAsphere went into meltdown after an Amber Alert was issued for Florida teen Caden Speight. The story appeared to be a grim one: officials said that Speight had been approached by “4 unknown Hispanic males in a light-colored van” who apparently shot and abducted him.

Speight was said to have gotten a single text message to his mom: “Mom, I’m shot… 4 men… white van.” His phone was then said to have been found snapped in half. Florida cops went into overdrive, issuing an Amber Alert, deploying helicopters, dogs, and launching a massive search.

🚨 “Mom, I’m shot… 4 men… white van.” 🚨
That was the last message 17-year-old Caden Speight sent his mom.
Moments later — his phone was found snapped in half.
And now… Caden is missing.

This isn’t just a runaway.
This is a full-blown Amber Alert out of Dunnellon, Florida,… pic.twitter.com/U0iHSgxAVP

— Mr PitBull (@MrPitbull07) September 26, 2025

More fuel was thrown on the fire when the rumor mill insisted Speight had been targeted while wearing a red MAGA hat, perhaps indicating that this was a case of a politically targeted abduction.

He’s in big trouble today

#CadenSpeight has been located safely! LE said that Caden was not shot, he was not abducted & he staged this entire situation! After he willingly abandoned his truck, he was seen on surveillance footage (several times) riding a bike that he purchased at a Walmart with a rolled up… pic.twitter.com/xdJ0aydVQ2

— Matt Thibodeau (@MattThibodeau) September 26, 2025

But, as you may have figured out, this was a huge fuss about nothing. Detectives have confirmed that no shooting took place, concluding that the report of an abduction involving four men was false. A vehicle said to belong to Speight was indeed found, though cops believe Speight purchased a black bicycle and a tent from a nearby Walmart and left the scene after apparently staging the scene to make it appear as if he was attacked.

Speight was found safe and well yesterday in Williston, with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office confirming that he’s safe but that the investigation is ongoing. What they underline once again is that “there is no evidence to indicate that he was taken by 4 Hispanic men in a light-colored van”.

As such, it strongly appears that Speight has hoaxed his family and law enforcement with a fake disappearance story. In the best-case scenario, this may be a case of a runaway going too far with a cover story, perhaps a not-too-smart teen wanting to disappear and concocting a plan without thinking it through.

But, even if this is the case, Speight will almost certainly be facing charges related to giving false information concerning a crime, even if that was via his unsuspecting family rather than directly to the police.

What Speight didn’t expect was that the internet would rapidly add extra details to his story, turn him into a political hot potato, and have thousands of furious MAGAs insisting this is a case of sinister Hispanics roaming around and targeting innocent MAGA kids. Maybe those who immediately began blaming random Hispanics might reflect on their gullibility in the future, but we suspect not.