CRIME
One Suspect Arrested After Shooting Kills 2, Injures 16 In Tampa Early Sunday
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
A 22-year-old man was arrested Sunday in connection with a mass shooting in Tampa’s Ybor City neighborhood that killed two people and injured 16 others, police said.
Tyrell Stephen Phillips was arrested and charged with second degree murder in connection to the shooting deaths of a 14-year-old male and a 20-year-old male, according to the Tampa Police Department.
Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said during a press conference at the scene that at least two shooters opened fire shortly before 3 a.m. Sunday as Halloween celebrations were beginning to let out in the area known for its bars and clubs. The shooting triggered a stampede.
“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. Two handguns were recovered at the scene, one of which was stolen, police said.
Fifteen of the 16 who were injured suffered gunshot wounds, police said.
Our thoughts are with the victims impacted by this senseless act and our detectives are committed to holding those involved accountable, Bercaw said.
“We make arrests quickly and with a sense of urgency,” Bercaw said in a statement after Phillips’ arrest. “If you commit a crime in Tampa, you are going to pay for it and you are going to be charged. Thanks to the community who came forward after we asked for tips, we were able to quickly charge the suspect with second-degree murder in this case.”
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, a former police chief, blamed the shooting on the proliferation of guns.
“Lives lost and others forever changed. To what end?” Castor said in a statement on X. “Bad decisions made in a split second and the proliferation of readily available guns are responsible for these almost daily incidents. We can affect one half of this equation.”
Police said detectives are still investigating the reason for the fight, gathering evidence, and working to identify and apprehend all parties involved.
TMX contributed to this article.
