TAMPA, Fla. — Two men were fatally shot and another man was wounded after a dispute escalated in a west-central Florida neighborhood early Sunday, authorities said.
According to a news release from the Tampa Police Department, the shooting occurred at about 3 a.m. EDT in Tampa’s SoHo district, an area that includes several bars and restaurants. The three men were engaged in a dispute at 533. S. Howard Ave. that escalated, police said.
Police Chief Lee Bercaw said the argument occurred in front of a Jimmy John’s restaurant located in The Shops on South Howard, WFLA-TV reported. It was unclear what sparked the disagreement.
“Looked like they were having a disturbance, literally seconds later they were shooting at each other,” Bercaw told reporters during an early Sunday news conference. “We do know the groups knew each other and had a beef with one another.
“What we don’t have is video at this point and we’re asking the public which we know people were out here in filming this to share that with us as we are trying to unfold the details of this investigation.”
Officers assigned to disperse the crowd at the scene heard gunshots and found three adult men with injuries, WTVT reported.
The deceased men were identified as Kenneth Washington, 28; and Kevon Christmas, 23, according to the Tampa Police Department news release.
The third man remains hospitalized with injuries that were not considered to be life-threatening, police said.
There were no other injuries, Bercaw said. No arrests have been made.
“These senseless acts of violence that occurred this morning happened in an area that was busy,” Hillsborough County State Attorney Susan Lopez told reporters during the news conference, according to the Tampa Bay Times. “There were lots of people here, there were also lots of Tampa police officers here.”
“My thoughts are with the loved ones impacted by this violence, especially on a day like today,” Bercaw said in a news release. “Our officers, detectives, and crime scene technicians have been working tirelessly to gather any available evidence and leads in this case.”