A Tampa man is in custody after a mass shooting that left one person dead and 10 people injured during a Father’s Day event in Wildwood, deputies said.
According to Chief Deputy Chris Haworth, the incident began when two people from Tampa “came upon each other” at the event taking place at Royal on Route 235.
Haworth said the suspect, 22-year-old Rapheal Tyree Thomas, then pulled out a gun and fired at the other person.
Deputies responded to the shooting and identified Thomas as the suspect with the help of people at the event. Bodycam footage released shows the moment deputies find Thomas hiding under a car, pulling him out, and placing him under arrest.
A total of ten people were hospitalized for injuries sustained in the shooting, with one person, 25-year-old Cornecia Quanshay Smikle of Tampa dying and another remaining in the ICU.
In the update, Chief Deputy Haworth said the Father’s Day celebration is an annual event put on by Royal residents on County Road 235. He added that the event takes place on private property, but sometimes spills over into the public area.
Thomas, 22, currently faces one count of homicide, one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. and eight counts of aggravated battery.
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