Las Vegas Sun

May 3, 2024

Tampa neighborhood fears serial killer after 3 slayings

Tampa Homicides

Octavio Jones/The Tampa Bay Times / AP

A peaceful march that began on east New Orleans Avenue was held during a candlelight vigil for the three victims who were killed in the recent shootings in the Seminole Heights neighborhood in Tampa on Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017.

TAMPA, Fla. — A Florida neighborhood is on edge after three people were shot and killed in the past two weeks.

Police believe the shootings are linked by proximity and time frame, but they don't have a motive or a suspect. The mayor is hesitant to say a serial killer is on the loose, but Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan hasn't shied away from saying that.

The slain were killed within a 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) radius in the normally quiet Seminole Heights neighborhood. All three victims rode the bus and were alone when they were shot on the street. None of the victims were robbed, and they didn't know one another.

The first victim was shot Oct. 9. The second on Oct. 11. The third victim was killed Oct. 19.