The front window of a Seminole Heights Pilates studio was shattered in the overnight hours between Saturday and Sunday, and the owner says she heard what sounded like a gunshot moments before it happened. Surveillance footage reviewed afterward shows headlights pulling up to the business just before the glass broke, followed by a truck driving off down Hanna Street. Tampa police have not said what actually caused the damage.
Brittany, who owns Hourglass Pilates, opened the studio about a year and a half ago, according to Tampa Bay 28. She worked with her father, who traveled from Kentucky to help remodel the space, the outlet reports. Accounts differ on how she first found out her window had been broken: Tampa Bay 28 reports she learned about the damage after a friend saw a post in a Seminole Heights neighborhood group and reached out to her, while FOX 13 News reports a client called her Sunday morning to tell her the window had been broken.
Investigators believe, based on nearby surveillance footage, that the incident happened around 2:30 a.m. Sunday. Brittany said she heard what sounded like a gunshot right before the window shattered and watched a truck drive away on Hanna. Police have not confirmed that a bullet caused the damage, and the same report notes they have not determined what broke the glass at all.
What the Surveillance Video Does and Doesn't Show
The footage captured headlights approaching the business shortly before the window shattered, per the same account. It did not capture a license plate. Brittany believes the vehicle may have been a white Ford F-150 with an extended cab, and she said additional footage from the area may show the same truck.
Tampa police officers responded to the 6100 block of North Central Avenue shortly after 8 a.m. Sunday for a report of a broken business window. Officers reported that no one was inside when the incident occurred and that they found no items out of place upon arrival. The investigation remains ongoing, with no suspect or vehicle owner identified so far.
A Second Business Nearby Also Hit
Another business a few blocks away also had glass damage, and FOX 13 News identifies that business as McNatt's Dry Cleaners, located along North Florida Avenue about two blocks from Hourglass Pilates. The dry cleaner was closed when its window was damaged, according to the station's report. Police have not said whether the two incidents are connected.
Neighbors Pitch In to Clean Up
Hourglass Pilates clients showed up to help clean up the broken glass, and community members offered glass-company contacts and help boarding up the damaged window, Tampa Bay 28 reports. One community member told the outlet that Seminole Heights residents rally around one another. Brittany said she plans to continue holding classes despite the damage.
Brittany is asking the community to help identify who was in the truck, who was driving it, and who owns it. Tampa police are asking anyone with information to call 813-231-6130 and reference case 26-641848.
