Current:Home > StocksSuspect arrested in Tampa shooting that killed 2, injured 18-LoTradeCoin
Suspect arrested in Tampa shooting that killed 2, injured 18
View Date:2024-12-23 21:35:42
A man has been arrested in Tampa, Florida, in a mass shooting that erupted during Halloween festivities early Sunday. Two people were killed and 18 injured, police said.
At least two shooters opened fire just before 3 a.m. in the Ybor City area, Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said during a news conference at the scene. Later Sunday he said detectives arrested Tyrell Stephen Phillips, 22, in connection with the shooting. He was charged with second-degree murder with a firearm.
"My heart goes out to the families," Bercaw said in a news briefing posted online. He called the gun violence "extremely tragic" and said police would not tolerate it.
Earlier, authorities said one suspect was in custody and at least one other was being sought, but Bercaw did not immediately say Sunday afternoon whether police were seeking anyone else after Phillips' arrest.
"We make arrests quickly," Bercaw said in the briefing. "We have a sense of urgency and if you are going to be out there with a gun, you are going to pay for it."
It was not immediately known if Phillips had an attorney, and he remained jailed pending an initial court appearance Monday, according to officials and local reports.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, a former city police chief, lamented that Tampa was the focus of national attention for "yet another shooting in our country."
"We've got to say, as a country, that enough is enough," she said.
The early morning fight occurred in an area with several bars and clubs that was once the center of Tampa's cigar industry. In more recent years, the area has been known for its lively nightlife, and Tampa police spokeswoman Jonee Lewis said "hundreds" of people were on the streets at the time of Sunday's shootings because numerous nightspots had just closed.
Police had not released the names of those killed, but Emmitt Wilson said his 14-year-old son, Elijah, was one of the fatalities. Wilson came to the scene Sunday after getting a call that his son was a victim.
"It's madness to me. I don't even feel like I'm here right now," Wilson said. "I hope the investigators do their job."
Video posted online shows people, many in Halloween costumes, drinking and talking on the street when about a dozen shots ring out followed seconds later by about eight more. A stampede ensued, with some people toppling over metal tables and taking cover behind them. Video from the aftermath shows police officers treating several people lying wounded on the ground.
"It was a disturbance or a fight between two groups. And in this fight between two groups we had hundreds of innocent people involved that were in the way," Bercaw said.
He did not provide details of the injuries suffered by the victims taken to area hospitals. Authorities later said most of those hurt were treated and released.
Police are still investigating the reason for the fight between the two groups, he said.
Castor blamed Sunday's shootings on easy access to guns.
"Yet again, a senseless loss of life by those choosing to settle a dispute with firearms. Lives lost and others forever changed. To what end?" Castor asked. "The Tampa Police Department had 50 officers deployed in the area at the time, so this is not a law enforcement issue.
- In:
- Shooting
- Tampa, Florida
- Florida
- Tampa Bay
veryGood! (27)
Related
- How Alex Jones’ Infowars wound up in the hands of The Onion
- What is Hamas? The group that rules the Gaza Strip has fought several rounds of war with Israel
- UN airs concerns for civilians as Israel steps up military response in Gaza to deadly Hamas attacks
- Canada and the Netherlands take Syria to top UN court. They accuse Damascus of widespread torture
- Wildfires burn on both coasts. Is climate change to blame?
- $5 gas prices? Drivers could pay more if Israel-Hamas war widens to threaten oil supplies
- Canada and the Netherlands take Syria to top UN court. They accuse Damascus of widespread torture
- Travis Kelce’s Niece Wyatt Is a Confirmed “Swiftie” in Adorable Video Amid Taylor Swift Dating Rumors
- Queen Bey and Yale: The Ivy League university is set to offer a course on Beyoncé and her legacy
- Lawyer says Black man who died after traffic stop beating had stolen items, hallucinogenic in car
Ranking
- Get $103 Worth of Tatcha Skincare for $43.98 + 70% Off Flash Deals on Elemis, Josie Maran & More
- Israel vows to destroy Hamas as death toll rises from unprecedented attack; several Americans confirmed dead
- Russia claims `neo-Nazis’ were at wake for Ukrainian soldier in village struck by missile killing 52
- IMF and World Bank pledge Africa focus at first meetings on the continent in 50 years
- College football Week 12 expert picks for every Top 25 game include SEC showdowns
- Mauricio Umansky Spotted Out to Dinner With Actress Leslie Bega Amid Kyle Richards Separation
- Biden interviewed as part of special counsel investigation into handling of classified documents
- Biden’s hopes for establishing Israel-Saudi relations could become a casualty of the new Mideast war
Recommendation
-
Question of a lifetime: Families prepare to confront 9/11 masterminds
-
Hamas official says Iran and Hezbollah had no role in Israel incursion but they’ll help if needed
-
Appeals court upholds order delaying this week’s execution of Texas inmate for deadly carjacking
-
U.S. Virgin Islands caucuses will be 3rd GOP primary contest, along with Nevada
-
Wicked Director Jon M. Chu Reveals Name of Baby Daughter After Missing Film's LA Premiere for Her Birth
-
Judge upholds most serious charges in deadly arrest of Black driver Ronald Greene
-
Israel declares war after Hamas attacks, Afghanistan earthquake: 5 Things podcast
-
Casino industry spurs $329 billion in US economic activity, study by gambling group shows