According to authorities, a suspect has been taken into custody after it is alleged that he opened fire in the center of Ybor City’s nightlife, killing two people.
The incident happened on the 1600 block near East 7th Avenue on Sunday at around three in the morning, according to the Tampa Police Department of Ybor City.
According to Chief Lee Bercaw, it started as a street battle between two parties.
The chief claimed that hundreds of innocent bystanders were involved in the conflict between the two parties.
According to Bercaw, it was unfortunate that families had to watch the news this morning to find out what had transpired here that evening. He continued by saying that their hearts went out to the victims and their families and that they had to consider them.
Until the authorities finish their work in the area and leave the scene, there may be traffic and commercial disruptions in the vicinity of the incident site.
A fun-filled Saturday night in Ybor City it quickly turned deadly as hundreds of people flooded out of the pubs and nightclubs. It was just one of many shootings that happened this weekend in the midst of Halloween celebrations around the nation.
According to the authorities, there were two or more shooters engaged.
Whether all 18 of the injured parties in the incident had wounds from gunfire or other injuries is still unknown.
According to a statement released by the agency on X Sunday afternoon, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Tampa Field Division is present to support the investigation in Ybor City.
In a Sunday afternoon update, Bercaw stated that Tyrell Phillips, 22, the shooting suspect, had been taken into custody and was being accused of second-degree murder.
Throughout the inquiry, almost forty officers were present in the area.
One man, Emmitt Wilson, said that one of the deceased victims was his 14-year-old son. In addition, a 22-year-old lost his life in the gunfire. The identities and ages of the deceased have not been verified by the police.
Wilson claimed that he had lost two children to gun violence. He claimed that at the moment, he was going insane and didn’t know what to do.
Wilson stated, “People never think this will happen.” He continued by saying that there had been many shootings and that he was one of the sad victims.
Although the inquiry is still in its early phases, Bercaw stated that one suspect has turned himself in.
He advised anyone who has footage of the incident to call Tampa Bay Crime Stoppers of Ybor City at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477) or the police at 813-231-6130.
Businesses in the area have volunteered to share their security footage, according to Bercaw.
Bercaw declared that they would bring those responsible to court and hold them accountable. He went on to say that their request is for the community’s collaboration in order to do that.
The police chief responded that it was still early in the inquiry and that would be examined further when asked if they suspected this incident was connected to a gang.
Social media posts featured footage of police carrying masked individuals as they bled on the pavement and other bystanders fleeing the sound of gunfire.
A single individual who turned themselves into police custody has been detained, according to the police. According to Bercaw, there might be more shooters than the minimum of two.
Ybor City’s Tampa Mayor Jane Castor’s Statements
Ybor City’s Tampa Mayor Jane Castor posed the question, “To what purpose are lives lost and others forever changed?” in a statement on X. The speaker continued by saying that these nearly everyday occurrences are the result of easy accessibility to firearms and snap decisions made.
Castor reiterated that there should be no needless deaths caused by people who choose to use weapons to resolve conflicts.
Castor stated that this was not an enforcement issue because the Tampa Police Department had fifty officers stationed in the area at the time.
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