Tampa police announced an arrest in the series of fatal shootings that shook the city’s Seminole Heights neighborhood this fall. A 24 year old man named Howell was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged with four counts of first degree murder. He is accused of the killings and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
After a search of nearly two months, police said a tip from a coworker at a Tampa McDonald’s, where Howell worked, led them to key evidence. Police said Howell handed the coworker a bag and said he planned to leave the state, and the coworker turned the bag over to officers. Inside, police said, was a gun they linked to the shootings. Investigators said records showed the gun was bought shortly before the first killing, and that cell phone data placed Howell’s phone in the area, which they said supported the arrest.
Police said the victims were Benjamin, 22, killed on Oct. 9, Monica, 32, whose body was found four days later, Anthony, 20, killed on Oct. 19, and Robert, 60, shot on Nov. 14. Police said the motive remains unclear and that they do not believe there are other suspects, though the investigation is ongoing.
Tampa’s police chief told reporters that it was “Day One of the healing process” for the families and the community.
