TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A man was shot and killed during an impromptu Father’s Day gathering Sunday night at the intersection between West Main Street and North Albany Avenue.
Police said they were there to disperse the crowd when they had to respond to shots being fired in the area. The victim was identified as 29-year-old Kevondre Thomas.
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“At the point that the crowd was being dispersed is when this disagreement… came up and the shots were fired,” said Deputy Chief Patrick Messmer from the Tampa Police Department.
Body camera footage shared with us by the Tampa Police Department showed a large crowd at the intersection moments before the murder.
When law enforcement got to the place where the shots were fired, they found 29-year-old Kevondre Thomas, who later passed away due to his injuries.
“He always was pleasant,” said Delphine Moend, who was at the gathering Sunday night. “He always was respectful. Whether it’s the people from the community or the cops, justice needs to be served.”
The Tampa Police Department addressed rumors on Monday regarding their involvement with the incident.
“No Tampa police officer fired their weapons or was in any way, shape or form involved in this shooting,” Messmer said.
While the suspect remains at large, police continue to ask for the community’s help to ensure whoever is responsible faces justice.
“We know there are hundreds of people out there. We know that someone knows what happened, and we’re asking the community to come forward, to give us information, to give closure to the Thomas family,” Messmer said.
Police said they don’t believe this was a random act but rather a targeted attack. They ask anyone with information or videos to reach out to them by calling 813-276-3200.
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