Ybor City shooting: Tampa police searching for more suspects after 2 killed, 16 injured
YBOR CITY, Fla. - Tampa police have one suspect in custody after Sunday’s deadly Ybor City shooting, but are still searching for others involved.
Cellphone video taken by bystanders shows a chaotic scene as people dressed in Halloween costumes ran from gunfire along Ybor City’s historic 7th Avenue.
One suspect, 22-year-old Tyrell Phillips, was detained onsite. 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.
Phillips is now facing second-degree murder charges.
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.
Law enforcement officer and crime scene tape at scene of deadly Ybor City shooting.
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. Two unidentified males, a 14-year-old, and a 22-year-old, 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.
Tampa police officers intervened in a matter of moments to help victims and detain Phillips.
Courtesy: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
Ybor City has been a popular entertainment district for more than a century, and, through its history, it’s also been the frequent site of gun violence. Police presence has increased in recent years as a response. Officers are stationed at every major intersection on busy nights. Mayor Jane Castor says more than 50 officers were in the immediate area when the shooting occurred.
Castor says Ybor City isn’t to blame. She says Sunday’s shooting is a symptom of irresponsible gun ownership and poor decision-making.
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"If you look at the overall crime rate in Ybor City it is very, very low. It's just unfortunate that these late night, early morning incidents are occurring where you have disputes that in the past may have been settled in a verbal argument and at the very worst, a physical fight. And now people aren't hesitating to pull out guns and shoot and not only kill innocent individuals, but hurt bystanders," Castor, the former Chief of Police, said.
Crime scene tape outside fatal Ybor City shooting.
Castor also called on gun owners to take more responsibility in safely securing their weapons by not leaving firearms in unlocked vehicles.
According to Bercaw, one of the two handguns recovered after the shooting was a stolen gun.
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Detectives believe there was more than one shooter and potentially hundreds of witnesses to what happened on Sunday.
Anyone with information or video evidence that could help in the investigation, is asked to contact the Tampa Police Department. Tipsters can also submit information anonymously through Tip 411.