The quiet of a New Tampa neighborhood was shattered yesterday afternoon when a man was found dead on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, prompting a homicide investigation by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. According to a press release on HCSO’s official website, the grim discovery was made off the intersection with Regents Park Drive, after reports of gunshots.
Local businesses and residents were rattled by the violence. Natasha Tucker, an employee at a dry cleaner across the street from the scene, recounted the moment to FOX 13 News, saying, "Pop. pop. pop. pop. pop. pop. pop. I was like what is going on out there?" Disturbed by the sounds, Tucker initially didn't believe it to be a shooting, but the evidence suggested otherwise.
Responding deputies found the victim, an adult male, dead from multiple gunshot wounds. While the shooter remains at large, the authorities have stated that this seems to be an isolated case with no immediate threat to the public. Sheriff Chad Chronister implored community members to assist in the investigation, “For our community to have to drive by a deceased male in the roadway is absolutely horrific,” he said, as reported by the HCSO’s public statement. He urged anyone with information to come forward, emphasizing that no tip is too small.
Amidst the turmoil, businesses nearby are coping with the aftermath. "My client is a competitive shooter and he said somebody definitely emptied an entire magazine," Saree Purcell, a local business owner, told WFLA. Deputies are interviewing witnesses, checking surveillance footage, and running license plates in an effort to track down the individual responsible. The sheriff’s office has asked for anyone who was in the area and might have information related to this shooting to contact them at (813) 247-8200, as also stated in their Facebook post regarding the incident. This continues to be an active and ongoing situation.
