YBOR CITY, Fla. — Two people were killed, including a 14-year-old boy, and 18 others injured in a shooting in Ybor City.
Tampa’s Police Chief says one person is in custody in connection with the shooting, identified as 22-year-old Tyrell Phillips, and is facing second-degree murder charges.
What You Need To Know
- Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said the shootings happened after a dispute between two groups
- One person died at the scene, another died at a local hospital. One of the victims was 14 years old — his father spoke with Spectrum News about his son (scroll down for video)
- Police are asking anyone with surveillance video or other information to call 813-231-6130 or contact Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477)
- One person has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection to the shooting
Tampa police say it happened just before 3 a.m. Sunday in the area of Tangra Nightclub in the 1600 block of E 7th Ave.
Police chief Lee Bercaw said the incident started with a dispute between two groups. One person died at the scene, and a second died at a local hospital.
“This morning, it’s tragic that families have to wake up and see on the news what happened here tonight,” Bercaw said.
“We have to think about the families involved and the victims that were involved, and our hearts go out to them.”
Police chief Lee Bercaw said the incident started with a dispute between two groups. (Brian Rea/Spectrum Bay News 9)
The extent of the 18 injured wasn’t immedately known, but they were taken to the hospital.
Police didn’t specifiy if all the injuries were gunshot related.
More than four dozen officers were in the area during the investigation.
Emmitt Wilson said his 14-year-old son, Elijah, is one of the victims who was shot and killed. He told Spectrum News that his son was a good kid but sometimes hung out with the wrong crowd. He said he is heartbroken.
“You never expect this to happen,” Wilson said. “It was multiple people shot and he happened to be one of the unfortunate to take this. I have to take this loss right now.”
ABOVE: More comments from father of victim
Bercaw said anyone with video of the incident should contact police at 813-231-6130 or contact Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477).
Bercaw said nearby businesses have offered to share their surveillance video.
Photo by Brian Rea, Spectrum Bay News 9
In a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said: “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? The Tampa Police Department had 50 officers deployed in the area at the time, so this is not a law enforcement issue.
“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.”
Below, you can watch Bercaw’s Sunday morning news conference.
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