14-year-old facing new charges in deadly Ybor City shooting for shooting, killing 20-year-old: Tampa police
TAMPA, Fla. - More than a month after the deadly Ybor City shooting, a family is getting answers from law enforcement about what happened to their 20-year-old son who was killed over that Halloween weekend.
The Tampa Police Department has added additional charges against the 14-year-old suspect, Kayden Abney, including second-degree murder, attempted aggravated battery and attempted murder. The young teen was originally charged with one count of minor in possession of a firearm while wearing a mask and one count of carrying a concealed firearm, according to authorities.
Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said during a Wednesday evening news conference that the second-degree murder charge directly relates to the death of 20-year-old Harrison Boonstoppel, one of the two victims killed during the shooting in Ybor City on October 29.
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Bercaw provided the update with Hillsborough State Attorney Suzy Lopez and the family of Harrison Boonstoppel. Lopez said this isn't Abney's first run in with the law, and he will be charged as an adult with these new charges.
"I want to send a message to juveniles in our community," Lopez said. "If you choose to shoot, you will be held accountable. It doesn't matter how old you are."
Bercaw also said during the news conference that these new charges came just as Abney was scheduled to be released from jail, but they were able to make the arrest before that happened.
The deadly shooting left Boonstoppel and 14-year-old Elijah Wilson dead and 16 others injured in the 1600 block of East 7th Avenue back on October 29.
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Boonstoppel's family said he went out to Ybor early that Sunday morning to people watch when the gunshots rang out. His group of friends dropped to the ground, and when the gunshots stopped, Boonstoppel was the only one who couldn't get up, according to his family.
Right image courtesy of Boonstoppel family.
Boonstoppel's mother, who was at the news conference, said he was shot and killed with just one bullet that traveled all the way to his heart.
"I just wanna say that he is such a beautiful kid, and I have been the mother of mothers watching over him my whole life and this is just senseless, and we have to do something as a community to make it better for everybody," Boonstoppel's mom said during the news conference.
Wilson's father told FOX 13 after the deadly shooting that he was left mourning his son, and it wasn't the first time he'd lost a child to gun violence. On top of losing his 14-year-old son, he also lost his daughter back in 2014 after a shooting as well.
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Abney is one of two suspects who have been arrested in the Ybor City shooting. They also arrested 22-year-old Tyrell Philips on one count of second-degree murder. He remains in jail after he was denied bond by a Tampa judge.
Since the shooting, authorities have continued searching for additional suspects. Wednesday evening, Bercaw encouraged the public to continue submitting tips to the online portal as they continue their investigation. To access the portal, click here.