TAMPA -- New research from the University of South Florida showed that violent deaths among teenagers were higher in Lake County than any other county in Florida in both 2006 and 2007.

The research included accidents, suicides and homicides.

Lake County beat the state average by more than 4 percentage points.

The Daily Commercial reported the reason for the big numbers may have been because of an increase in gang activity in the county.

The County Sheriff's Office told the paper they made 633 juvenile arrests in 2007 -- 71 of them in the Four Corners area.

The Sheriff's Office sent $600,000 to start a gang unit in December 2007.

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