A shooting in Tampa left two dead and at least 18 injured during Halloween festivities early Sunday morning, police said.
Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said a fight broke out between two groups of people when two suspected shooters opened fire at around 3 a.m. in an area with several bars and clubs, according to the Associated Press. Tampa police spokeswoman Jonee Lewis said “hundreds” of people were outside as the fight broke out, per the outlet.
Bercaw identified the two deceased victims as a 14-year-old named Elijah and a 20-year-old white male during a press conference Sunday afternoon. Sixteen other victims were rushed to the hospital following the incident, 15 of those cases being caused by gunshot wounds, according to the Tampa Police Department.
Most of the victims, who were between the ages 18-27, have been released from the hospital as of Sunday afternoon, the police said. Five currently remain in the hospital as they recover from their injuries, per officials.
Footage posted to X (formerly Twitter) shows law enforcement and medical personnel tending to people in Halloween costumes bleeding on the sidewalk from gun wounds.
🚨 #BREAKING: Mass shooting during a Halloween celebration has left at least 18 people injured and 2 individuals deceased. 👀#YborCity | #Tampa | #Florida
Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw has reported that the shooting occurred following a fight between two groups of… pic.twitter.com/O5Hr8NAd7g
— HumanDilemma (@HumanDilemma_) October 29, 2023
Another video posted to X shows the start of gunfire causing people to panic and to run for their lives. Many were dressed in Halloween costumes and walking out of bars and restaurants in celebration of the upcoming holiday. (RELATED: Suspect Identified In Maine Mass Shooting)
🔥🚨BREAKING: At least 18 people are injured and 2 dead after a mass shooting during a Halloween celebration in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida this morning. pic.twitter.com/ZF4mzI0dnU
— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) October 29, 2023
Authorities arrested 22-year-old Tyrell Stephenson Phillips and charged him with second degree murder, the police said. The department has yet to identify or detain a second suspect.
“We make arrests quickly and with a sense of urgency,” Bercaw said in statement Sunday afternoon. “If you commit a crime in Tampa, you are going to pay for it and you are going to be charged. Thanks to the community who came forward after we asked for tips, we were able to quickly charge the suspect with second-degree murder in this case.”
Emmitt Wilson, the father of the deceased 14-year-old Elijah, rushed to the scene after being notified his son was a victim, the outlet reported.
“It’s madness to me. I don’t even feel like I’m here right now,” Wilson said. “I hope the investigators do their job and find out who killed my son.”
The cause of the shooting is currently unknown and remains under investigation, Fox News reported.