October 9th, Benjamin Mitchell was shot while waiting for a bus. October 13th, Monica Hoffa was shot in a vacant lot. October 19th, Anthony Naiboa was walking alone down the street of his neighborhood when he was shot and killed. Just this past week, 60 year old Ronald Felton was found dead in the middle of the road at 5 in the morning. All of these murders were all within a half mile of each other in Seminole Heights, Tampa, and they all took place in the same month.
Since these murders are so closely tied together, Police are led to believe that these crimes were committed from one serial killer. They currently have certain neighborhoods in Seminole Heights on lockdown to keep families safe, but they believe that the criminal is also in the same area blocked in. Although police do believe these murders were tied together, there have been no actual reports from investigators released to the public stating whether or not there is evidence that leads to one person committing these crimes.
The difference with Ronald Felton’s case in comparison to the others is that there was an eyewitness on the scene when the shooting took place. The eyewitness called the police immediately after it happened, and reported which direction the criminal ran to and he described him as “a thin black man, about six feet tall.”
The residents of Seminole Heights Tampa are understandably living In fear. Fear for their wellbeing, and the wellbeing of their families. ABC news interviewed parents outside of a local elementary school, and many of them stated that they don’t let their children walk to school alone anymore. Most parents drive their kids to and from school. One mother stated that she has never seen this many police officers in their area before. Stating it was both “ unsettling but settling”.
There is a $41,000 reward for anyone who has information leading to the criminals arrest.
You can read more about this here.