Tampa police arrest boy, 14, on weapons charges in Ybor shooting

Jack Prator, Tampa Bay Times
Updated ·2 min read
5

Tampa police arrested a 14-year-old boy on weapons charges Thursday in connection with a fatal shooting last month in Ybor City.

At the time of the Oct. 29 incident that left two people dead and 16 injured, police say two officers were notified of a disturbance at the intersection of 16th Street and Seventh Avenue, where they saw the boy displaying a gun before leaving the scene.

Detectives with the Police Department then followed a lead that suggested the boy had fled to Palm Beach, according to a Thursday news release from the agency.

He was taken into custody in Palm Beach County and charged with one felony count of being a minor in possession of a firearm while wearing a mask and one felony count of carrying a concealed firearm.

The Tampa Bay Times is not naming the boy because of his age.

A spokesperson with the Tampa Police Department declined to say whether investigators believe the boy fired the gun, citing an active investigation.

“There is no reasonable explanation for a 14-year-old to be in possession of a firearm,” Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said in a statement. “We appreciate all the tips provided by our community to aid this investigation. … Our job is not finished.”

Police say shots were fired near the 1600 block of East Seventh Avenue in Ybor early in the morning of Oct. 29 after an argument broke out between two groups.

While police have not released the victims’ names, citing Marsy’s Law, family members have identified 14-year-old Elijah Wilson and 20-year-old Harrison Boonstoppel as the two people killed in the incident.

Hours after the shooting, police arrested Tyrell Phillips, 22. Phillips, who is charged with one count of second-degree murder with a firearm, has since pleaded not guilty. Investigators are still looking for additional shooters and tips about multiple people of interest shown in a video released by police.

Tampa police are asking anyone with photos, videos or information regarding the shooting to contact them through an online portal created to help with the ongoing investigation.

The portal is at fbi.gov/tampashooting.