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Road rage suspect behind bars after killing man in front of grandson on U.S. 301 in Riverview: HCSO

By , and FOX 13 News Staff
Updated  October 28, 2024 9:04pm EDT
Hillsborough County
FOX 13 News

Arrest in deadly road rage shooting

Hillsborough County deputies have arrested Kentavious Gholston, saying he shot and killed another man in front of his grandson at a Riverview intersection.

RIVERVIEW, Fla. - A man was shot and killed in the middle of a busy Riverview intersection in front of his own grandson Sunday afternoon, and now the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said the shooting suspect is behind bars. 

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said during a news conference Monday evening that they identified the suspect as Kentavious Gholston, 26, who is now facing a second-degree murder charge. 

The deadly road rage shooting happened along U.S. 301 near Bloomingdale Avenue in Riverview. Investigators said Steven Powers, 61, and his adult grandson were in a work van together when they saw a black Mazda, driven by Gholston, recklessly driving through traffic along U.S. 301. Gholston even cut the work van off in the middle of the busy road. 

Hillsborough sheriff: Arrest in deadly road rage shooting

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RELATED: 1 dead after road rage incident on Highway 301 in Riverview, HCSO says

Powers honked the horn at the suspect, and Hillsborough County deputies said Gholston started "brake checking" the victim before putting the vehicle in park. 

Booking photo curtesy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. 

That's when Powers got out of the vehicle and went over to the driver's side of the black Mazda. According to the sheriff, the 61-year-old went to punch the suspect, but he was pushed to the ground. After he fell, deputies said Gholston pulled out his gun and shot the victim four times in the back. 

That's when Powers' grandson got out of the van, but Gholston pointed the gun at him. He then got back in the black Mazda and sped off, running a red light to get away. Powers was taken to the hospital, where he died.

"He just watched his grandfather get executed," Chronister said. 

Deputies said they later found a debit card that fell on the road during the altercation, and they used it to track down the suspect. They also said they'd been flooded with video and even dashcam footage that showed the suspect driving off after the shooting. 

READ: 5 teens arrested in hit-and-run crash that left St. Pete man dead feet away from home: SPPD

Nearby cameras also caught the road rage incident, according to deputies. 

While investigators were working to track down the suspect, Gholston's attorney called the sheriff's office to let them know he would turn himself in. After he was in custody, the suspect told deputies where he left his car and that he took off the tag. 

He also told deputies that he disassembled the gun he used during the shooting and threw it in a retention pond. 

Some residents who drive along U.S. 301 every day were alarmed to hear about the incident.

"People need to realize that life’s valuable and for someone to take someone’s life like this and then run away over something very stupid, it seems like, we really don’t know, but it’s just sad the way society is today," Burke said. "There’s no more respect for human life anymore."

Gholston was arrested on multiple charges, including second-degree murder with a firearm, aggravated assault with a firearm and tampering with physical evidence. He was also arrested for violating his probation related to a domestic violence battery charge out of Hernando County. 

"We all have to be more patient. The more people who move here, the more patient we all have to become," Chronister said. 

Chronister said he shouldn't have had a gun on him during the road rage shooting because of his probation. 

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