Ybor City Shooting: Suspect accused of opening fire killing 2, injuring 16 makes first court appearance
TAMPA, Fla. - The man accused of opening fire in Ybor City early Sunday morning killing two people and injuring 16 appeared in court on Monday.
Tyrell Phillips, 22, is facing second-degree murder charges in connection with the deadly shooting. He was arrested on Sunday and police say they are searching for additional suspects.
Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw told reporters on Sunday that Phillips lied to police about his involvement, but witness information and video of the shooting helped lead to his arrest.
Police car and crime scene tape outside fatal Ybor City shooting.
The shooting took place just before 3 a.m. on Sunday, as bars and nightclubs would have been letting out after a busy night. Tampa police say an argument between two groups of people erupted in gunfire.
Seventeen people were shot, and another seriously injured as hundreds of innocent bystanders fled, turning over metal tables and ducking into doorways to avoid bullets. A 14-year-old boy, and a 22-year-old man were killed.
As of Sunday afternoon, Tampa police said five of the 15 other shooting victims remained in the hospital with serious injuries. All are expected to survive.
Courtesy: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
Tampa police officers say they intervened in a matter of moments to help victims and detain Phillips.
Meanwhile, family and friends of the victims of the deadly shooting are trying to cope with the aftermath.
Emmit Wilson is grieving the loss of his son, 14-year-old Elijah, who was killed after gunfire erupted on the street of Ybor City as the bars were closing down.
He told FOX 13 that Elijah is the second child he lost to senseless gun violence.
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"He wasn't a bad child," Wilson shared. "You know, he just get around certain people. And, you know, these teenagers nowadays, they don't really listen to their parents. They listen to more of their friends."
Tampa police say it is unclear why a 14-year-old boy was in Ybor City around 3 a.m. and whether he was involved in the fight that led to the shooting.
Law enforcement officer and crime scene tape at scene of deadly Ybor City shooting.
Rachel Sims’ says her daughter Kila Ryker is among those injured. She says she woke up in Missouri to four missed called from her daughter.
RELATED: Ybor City shooting: A look at the victims killed, injured after gunfire erupted Sunday morning
She said she found out where her daughter was located after she called several Bay Area hospitals. Sims said when she got ahold of Ryker, she was hysterical.
Sims said, "She was in the background like, 'Mommy why is this happening to me? I was just walking down the sidewalk mommy. Why?' You know, what do you do with that?"
As Sims awaits a flight to Tampa on Monday, she tries her best to console Ryker over FaceTime.
"As a mom, you're so helpless. You just want to be with your child and you don't know what's coming next," she said. "They have her sedated because every time she closes her eyes, she says she sees the bodies."
Officials say the victim’s injured in Sunday’s shooting range in age from 14 to 27.
A handful of victims remain at Bay Area hospitals and at least one will require multiple surgeries, but Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw says everyone is expected to recover.
Phillips is currently being held without bond.
On Monday morning, a judge set a pre-trial detention hearing for Phillips on Thursday at 2:30 p.m.