TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Tampa police are investigating three cases of Fourth of July celebratory gunfire.
A man who was visiting Busch Gardens with his wife is believed to have been hit by a bullet from a neighborhood near the theme park. Police say Scott Deel, 36, of Florahome, suffered a minor injury.
Deel was walking at Busch Gardens with his wife around 11:30 p.m. when he felt a sudden pain to his left shoulder. His wife noticed he was bleeding, so they went to the Busch Gardens first aid center. Deel was transported to Tampa General Hospital where he was treated by doctors.
Another case of celebratory gunfire happened at 11 p.m. at the Knollwood Manor Apartments located at 6420 Oaktree Court.
Police say Elaine Hunter, 61, arrived home to her apartment and discovered a hole in her ceiling and found a bullet below it on the bedroom floor. No one was at her apartment for several hours and police say there was no reason to believe she was the target of a crime. Detectives say the bullet appears to be a stray from celebratory gunfire and went through her roof and into her apartment. There were no injuries and minor property damage.
The third case happened earlier in the evening at 7:46 p.m. Vonshay Cunningham, 39 noticed a hole in the windshield of her 2016 Kia Sol and a bullet on the driver’s side floor board. The vehicle had been parked in the driveway of her home on North 27th Street.
A Tampa police officer responded and determined the bullet was from Fourth of July celebratory gunfire. The bullet caused minor damage to the vehicle.
