A Hillsborough County jury found 44-year-old Michael Banks guilty of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder in mid-August, following a shooting rampage inside a Tampa home in January 2024 that began after he demanded his daughter marry him and become his lover. Jurors deliberated for roughly two and a half hours before returning guilty verdicts on all counts, including attempted murder of a law enforcement officer.
The Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office confirmed the verdicts, saying Banks was found guilty by a jury of the murder and attempted murder charges stemming from the January 17, 2024 shooting, according to Tampa Bay 28. Court documents identify the woman killed inside the home as 52-year-old Josephine Muentes, a longtime friend of Banks' mother who was visiting the residence, as reported by USA TODAY. Prosecutors say Muentes was killed after she tried to help Banks' mother address his behavior.
A Rampage That Moved Room to Room
According to court filings, the violence began in the kitchen, where Banks shot Muentes before grazing his 60-year-old mother in the head, as detailed by FOX 13 Tampa Bay. He then fired through a bathroom door at his 17-year-old daughter while she was showering, striking her in the leg. Both surviving victims managed to escape the home screaming for help as officers arrived, per the same account.
The shooting unfolded at a residence in the 10000 block of North 23rd Street near East Linebaugh Avenue, a location confirmed by WTSP. The surrounding neighborhood was briefly placed under a perimeter while officers secured the suspect, the outlet reported.
Officer Fired Upon in Backyard Standoff
Court records show Banks then shot twice at a Tampa police officer from the backyard. The officer, identified by the Tampa Police Department as 32-year-old Officer Darrin Gibson, returned fire; Gibson was uninjured, and Banks surrendered shortly afterward, according to the department's account provided to WTSP.
Investigators seized a revolver from the scene, which Banks had loaded in his room before the shooting and was legally barred from possessing because of his prior felony record, per WKMG. Banks reportedly admitted to retrieving the weapon after overhearing plans to evict him, the station noted.
A History of Violence Predates the Shooting
WTSP's reporting on the case revealed that Banks had a prior violent criminal history in Florida, including a 2005 conviction for aggravated battery on a pregnant woman that led to prison time in 2006, as well as a 2010 conviction for battery on a person 65 or older that carried a five-year prison sentence. His probation for the 2010 offense had terminated in January 2018, the outlet reported.
Life Without Parole Awaits Sentencing
Banks is now facing a mandatory sentence of life in prison. Under Florida Statute § 775.082, a conviction for first-degree capital murder carries a mandatory penalty of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole when the state does not seek the death penalty, according to The Florida Senate.
Additional mandatory minimums are expected to apply to the remaining counts. Florida's 10/20/Life statute, codified under Florida Statute § 775.087, mandates severe minimum prison sentences ranging from 20 years to life for discharging a firearm during the commission of severe violent felonies, according to Hanlon Law. Separately, attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer is designated a life felony under Florida sentencing guidelines, carrying a mandatory minimum of 25 years up to life imprisonment, per The Florida Senate. That charge requires proof that Banks knew Gibson was a law enforcement officer.
Banks is scheduled to be sentenced on August 25. Court proceedings will formally determine whether the attempted murder and firearm counts run consecutively or concurrently with his mandatory life sentence for murder.
