TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A 22-year-old man is in custody after a deadly shooting at a sports bar in Ybor City on Saturday, police said.
Just after 2:15 a.m., two groups, unfamiliar with each other, were involved in an argument outside Flexx Sports Bar and Ultra Lounge, which led to the man being removed from the premises due to his behavior.
Authorities say he came back with a gun, got into another argument, and shots were fired.
A 30-year-old man was taken to the hospital and later died.
Another man was injured in the altercation and had non-life-threatening injuries.
Police confirmed the 22-year-old man was the shooter and taken into custody.
The shooting happened as Tierra Jones of Toledo, Ohio, was celebrating her birthday in Ybor City with two friends.
“We weren’t here for any trouble; I just wanted to have a good time. Hearing about something like this as soon as you leave is just shocking,” Jones expressed.
She said she and her friends were at another establishment when the server recommended, they go to the sports bar.
“They mentioned that there would be some older individuals and tourists, and we were aware it would be a diverse crowd, but a shooting was the last thing we anticipated,” Jones added.
Jones said the three were later notified of the tragedy.
“One of our friends told us that it had been a shooting and that somebody had got shot in the head and was murdered,” Jones said.
Jones’ friend Arielle Gray said she was thankful the group had already left.
“We were gone away from there for about an hour, so we could have been in the mix,” Gray said.
Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said officers were on scene when the shooting happened.
“This shooting happened with officers in plain view. This reckless behavior is not acceptable within our community,” Bercaw said in a statement.
Gray said the violence across the nation has become discouraging.
“This has been a persistent problem. People have tried to implement solutions, but honestly, I’m unsure what can be done to resolve situations like these,” Gray remarked.
Officials said the shooter is cooperating in the investigation but have not yet identified him nor the deceased victim.
