Hillsborough detectives identify 15-year-old fatally shot at Halloween party

THONOTOSASSA, Fla. - Almost two weeks after a deadly Halloween party shooting killed a 15-year-old girl, Hillsborough County detectives are still searching for a suspect.

Friday, they publicly identified the Bloomingdale High teen who died as Laci Mae Gilileo. The shooting occurred the morning after Halloween around 2:15 a.m., when the sheriff's office received a flood of 911 calls.

When deputies arrived, they found one male victim with a gunshot wound. He was taken to a hospital and is expected to recover. Deputies said Gilileo was found shot at Petrol Mart gas station located at 11511 US 301. She was taken to the hospital, but she died from her injuries. 

"As far as I understand, the female was trying to leave the scene of the shooting, she was jumping in her car with a friend to try to get away, and she was shot there," said Merissa Lynn, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office. "The friend, for some reason, ended up here at the Petrol Mart."

Photo of Laci Mae Gilileo (provided by Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office)

A partygoer who asked to remain anonymous told FOX 13 there were about 100 people at the party, ranging in ages from teenagers to about 30 years old. She said it didn't seem dangerous at first, but the vibe changed as the night turned into the early morning hours. A fight eventually broke out, leading to gunfire.

Neighbors, including Barry Brinson said he heard two rounds of gunfire.

"I heard a lot of gunfire. It was a lot of gunfire," Brinson said, who lives a few houses away from the shooting. "Soon after that, there was another huge amount of gunfire."

Aerial view from SkyFOX showing home where deadly shooting occurred during a Halloween party.

Neighbors saw partygoers running for their lives and trying to escape in cars.

"You could see people running, mostly kids, teenagers," said Marwan Tafour, another neighbor.

"It’s terrible. It’s just absolutely a terrible thing. And to lose somebody that young," added Brinson.

Lynn said detectives are still trying to determine if adults were present during the party and providing drugs or alcohol.

Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's office at 813-247-8200.