TAMPA, FL – A violent altercation between two groups during Halloween festivities in Tampa, Florida, escalated into a deadly shooting, resulting in two fatalities and 18 injuries. The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday on a street teeming with hundreds of celebrants.
The shooting took place around 3 a.m. near a popular strip of bars and clubs on East 7th Avenue in Tampa’s Ybor City neighborhood, according to Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw. The dispute involved two groups, with hundreds of bystanders caught in the crossfire.
Eyewitness videos shared online depict a chaotic scene as shots rang out. People dressed in Halloween costumes can be seen scrambling for safety, with some taking cover behind metal tables. Subsequent footage shows police officers administering aid to several wounded individuals on the ground.
A father, Emmitt Wilson, shared with media that his 14-year-old son, Elijah Wilson, was among the fatalities. He described his son as a “good child” who was simply “at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Authorities have one male suspect in custody who turned himself in, and they believe a second shooter was involved. The conditions of the 18 individuals hospitalized with injuries were not immediately available. The cause of the initial altercation remains under investigation.