Overnight gunfire along Cockroach Bay Road in Ruskin ended with two men in handcuffs after deputies say shots were fired from a passing car toward an RV where people were sleeping early March 14. Occupants of the RV told investigators a red vehicle rolled by and unleashed multiple rounds. Deputies later collected spent shell casings at the scene, stopped a matching vehicle a short time later, and arrested the driver and passenger. No one was hurt.
How deputies say it unfolded
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, 911 dispatchers took a call at 2:14 a.m. reporting shots fired near 5290 Cockroach Bay Road. Deputies who responded found multiple spent shell casings along with other evidence consistent with a shooting. Investigators say they then tracked down a vehicle that matched witness descriptions and conducted a traffic stop.
Traffic stop and interviews
Local reporting says detectives found evidence inside the stopped car that was consistent with a discharged firearm. During interviews, the driver, 33-year-old Dustin Wise, admitted to firing multiple rounds into the air, according to that reporting. The passenger, 50-year-old Christopher Kickliter, allegedly admitted to possessing, loading, and firing the weapon. Deputies say the car matched what witnesses had described and took both men into custody at the scene. Authorities have not released a possible motive.
Charges and criminal history
The sheriff’s office says Kickliter was booked on a lengthy list of charges that includes shooting at, within, or into a vehicle; felon in possession of ammunition and a firearm; discharge of a firearm from a vehicle (occupant); and several probation-violation counts tied to burglary, first-degree murder or attempted first-degree murder, and aggravated assault on law-enforcement officers. HCSO notes Kickliter previously served about 20 years in prison on convictions that included attempted first-degree murder of a law-enforcement officer and related offenses, and that he is on probation through 2027. Wise faces a count of discharge of a firearm from a vehicle (occupant), according to the agency.
Official response
“This was an extremely dangerous situation that could have had a much different outcome,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in the agency statement. He added that the suspects showed a “reckless disregard for human life” and credited the swift response of deputies for quickly locating the vehicle. The sheriff’s office says the investigation remains active and that any further updates will come from its Public Affairs Office.
Investigation and tips
Authorities are asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office or Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay. Local outlets noted that tips can be called in to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS as investigators continue working to determine what led up to the overnight gunfire.
Local coverage
The arrests and ongoing investigation were first detailed in a March release from the sheriff’s office and have since been picked up by local news outlets, including a recent regional recap. For the original law-enforcement statement and additional on-the-ground reporting, readers can look to that local coverage of the incident.
