TAMPA (WFLA) – A 13-year-old is recovering after being shot in East Tampa on Tuesday night.
Tampa police say the shooting happened in front of the Lee Davis Center on 22nd Street at 26th Avenue, just before 5:00 p.m.
Several people in the neighborhood say scooters have become a flash point for trouble there. Cathie Autry says she heard an argument in the same area on Monday night.
“I heard a lot of commotion and the commotion was about the teenagers across the street arguing about the scooters,” said Autry.
The next night, the argument resulted in gunfire.
“When the light pole come on, the kids come out from everywhere. In the streets, disrespectful, running in front of cars, I’m surprised nobody got killed earlier,” said a man who lives in the neighborhood, but who did not want to be identified.
“It’s just them scooters, just get them scooters from over there and I think everything will be all right because the kids are out of school and they ain’t got nothing to do,” he said.
Tampa City Councilman Orlando Gudes says too many guns on the streets are the real problem.
“What are we going to do to stop this senseless violence. I don’t have the answer, but I hope someone can get with me and we can find a solution to the problem,” Gudes said.
Tampa police are asking anyone with information about the shooting to come forward so they can arrest the person responsible.