A woman in her early 70s was shot and killed inside a moving vehicle on East Fowler Avenue in Tampa on Saturday morning, and the man driving the car, who knew her, is now in custody as detectives try to piece together what happened. Tampa police said officers responded to the 4100 block of East Fowler Avenue shortly before 11:30 a.m. after reports of a shooting.
According to the Tampa Police Department, as reported by Tampa Bay 28, the man and woman were traveling together in a vehicle along Fowler Avenue when the driver fired a gun. Investigators say the two were known to each other. Per iontb.com, both were in their early 70s.
Driver Stopped in a Nearby Parking Lot
After firing the weapon, the driver pulled into a business parking lot and brought the vehicle to a stop, the same report notes. The woman, who was riding as a passenger, was struck in the upper body and died at the scene from her injuries.
Police took the man into custody at the scene, and detectives have been interviewing him to determine what led to the shooting, the outlet reports. Officers also recovered the firearm, which was secured and collected as evidence. WFLA reports that officers have not released the man's identity.
No Ongoing Threat, Police Say
Authorities described the shooting as an isolated incident and said there is no ongoing threat to the public, according to the same iontb.com account. Investigators believe the circumstances were contained to the two people involved in the vehicle.
The investigation remains active and in its early stages, with police saying additional information will be released as the case allows. Tampa police have not disclosed what preceded the gunfire or detailed the man's current legal status beyond confirming he was taken into custody and interviewed.
