TAMPA, Florida – A gunman is facing charges in the Tampa shooting during Halloween festivities early Sunday that left two dead – including a 14-year-old boy — and 16 others injured, police said.
Tyrell Stephen Phillips, 22, was identified as a criminal defendant in the case. After he was captured in the aftermath of the violent bloodshed, the alleged gunman was charged with second-degree murder, the Tampa Police Department announced Sunday afternoon, according to the New York Post.
Gunfire erupted in the Ybor City neighborhood just before 3 a.m. where several bars and clubs are located. Hundreds of people — many of whom were dressed in Halloween costumes — were on the street because many establishments recently closed, a police spokesperson noted.
The homicide victims — ages 14 and 20 — have not yet been identified by authorities.
However, one grieving father told WFLA that his 14-year-old son Elijah Jaquan Wilson was one of the murder victims.
“I have lost my son, I have lost a second son to gun violence,” Emmitt Wilson told the news outlet, adding, “2014, I lost my child. Now here it is, 2023, and my baby boy, he’s gone now from gun violence.”
Chief Lee Bercaw of the Tampa Police Department said during a press conference that a fight between two groups led to the gunfire. One of the shooting victims was pronounced dead at the scene while the other was transported to the hospital before he succumbed to his injuries.
Law enforcement authorities said another 16 people were hospitalized, including 15 that were wounded during the hail of bullets flying at the scene. The injured ranged in age from 18- to 27-years-old. Five remain hospitalized.
Chief Bercaw said several tips from community members led to criminal charges against Phillips, The Post reported.
“We make arrests quickly and with a sense of urgency,” said Chief Bercaw. “If you commit a crime in Tampa, you are going to pay for it and you are going to be charged. Thanks to the community who came forward after we asked for tips, we were able to quickly charge the suspect with second-degree murder in this case.”
This remains an active and ongoing investigation. Detectives continue to gather evidence and develop leads to determine what led to the shooting and identify and apprehend all parties involved, according to a department news release.
The chief said during a press conference that investigators were “looking at potential other shooters.”
Authorities ask anyone with information to call the Tampa Police Department at 813.231.6130, send a tip via TIP411, or contact Crimestoppers of Tampa Bay at 800.873.TIPS.
