TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Tampa Police Department has released a description of a suspect wanted in connection with a shooting Sunday night at Curtis Hixon Park.
The shooting sent a 16-year-old to the hospital in critical condition. Police say the teen is now in stable condition at a local hospital and he is expected to survive.
Police say the suspect is “described as a Black male in his mid-to-late teens with a short afro. He is approximately 5’6″-5’9″ and was wearing a blue t-shirt, jeans, and black sneakers at the time of the shooting.”
Some at the park have asked why there aren’t more police present for the popular Winter Village event at the park.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor contends there are police at the event and others that happen downtown.
“We would like to have an officer on the spot of any altercation that occurs, but overall we’ve reduced violent crime in the city by five percent. Nonfatal shootings have gone down by almost 20 percent. We do everything that we can to keep all of our events safe. We have close to a thousand special events a year in the city of Tampa and the vast majority of those are very, very safe,” Castor said.
Tampa police are asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact them.
“Detectives are also asking people to look at their own camera footage or maybe they know who the suspect is. Give us a call, text us,” said Eddy Durkin with the Tampa Police Department.
