Swift police action has resulted in the arrest of a suspect following a fatal shooting that unfolded on El Portal Drive, with authorities taking a 59-year-old man into custody less than eight hours after the tragic event was first reported, Tampa Police announced yesterday.
According to a press release from the City of Tampa's official website, the suspect, identified as Louis Jules, was apprehended in relation to the shooting which led to the death of two individuals, a 37-year-old male and a 40-year-old female who were discovered by officers responding to the scene and fatally injured, and after the deadly shooting occurred, police began a rapid search for the responsible party, managing to locate and arrest Jules prior to 6:00 p.m. on the same day.
The quick response of law enforcement came mere hours after the dispatch received a call shortly after 11:00 a.m., directing officers to the 8500 block of El Portal Drive, where they found the two victims and pronounced them deceased on the scene; subsequently, they launched a manhunt culminating in Jules' arrest.
Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw acknowledged the impact of the crime on the community and, in a statement shared by the police department, emphasized the swift action taken by the officers and detectives, expressing his satisfaction in their ability to provide the victims' families with answers saying, “While the pain of losing a loved one never goes away, I’m proud of the swift work of our officers and detectives that will bring these families some answers,” and he underscored the zero-tolerance stance against such violent crimes, with a promise of quick justice delivered by dedicated law enforcement, as per the City of Tampa website.
While the motivating circumstances of the shooting remain under investigation, authorities were able to track down Jules swiftly, with details on the methods used to locate him currently undisclosed.
