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| Shooting in tampa Ybor City kills 2 amid Halloween events. |
An arrest has been made in a shooting incident that claimed the lives of two individuals and caused chaos during Halloween celebrations in Ybor City early Sunday. Tampa police responded to the incident on East 7th Avenue at around 2:45 a.m., according to Tampa Police Department spokesperson Eddy Durkin.
Authorities believe a confrontation between two groups escalated into gunfire, resulting in the deaths of a 20-year-old man and a 14-year-old boy. Tampa Fire Rescue transported 16 additional victims, aged 18 to 27, to local hospitals, 15 of whom had gunshot wounds.
Five of the victims remained hospitalized on Sunday afternoon. The police arrested 22-year-old Tyrell Stephen Phillips and charged him with second-degree murder.
During a bustling night in Ybor City, just before Halloween, gunfire erupted as revelers in costumes filled the area bars. The incident took place near Centro Ybor, where injured individuals were found outside Tangra Nightclub, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times.
Videos shared online depicted a chaotic scene, with bystanders fleeing and officers tending to the wounded. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor called it a "senseless loss of life" resulting from disputes settled with firearms, emphasizing the need to address both impulsive decisions and the easy accessibility of guns.
Governor Ron DeSantis pledged full support to local law enforcement, coordinating closely with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Detectives are actively collecting surveillance footage from local businesses to identify all parties involved in the gunfight.
