2 Dead In Tampa Shooting, Suspect Arrested: Police

TAMPA, FL — The suspect in a Friday morning shooting that left two people dead in Tampa has been arrested.

Whitney Newsome, 37, was charged with two counts of murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to a Tampa Police Department news release.

Police responded to reports of a shooting in the 900 block of E. 26th Ave. around 10:30 a.m.
Officers found two victims, a woman in her mid-20s and a man in his early 40s, who had been shot. They both died from their injuries, police said.

A third victim, a woman in her early 40s, who was shot at but not hit by gunfire, was found and interviewed.

Investigators identified Newsome as the suspect and learned he had gotten into an argument with the female victim who was killed before the shooting, police said.

The male victim tried to intervene and their argument escalated, moving down E. 26th Ave.

Newsome pulled out a handgun and shot the woman, who tried to run before collapsing in front of a convenience store, police said.

The man and the other female victim, who was walking in the same area at the time, tried to run for safety when he shot at both of them. The man was hit by a bullet, while the second woman wasn’t shot.

Newsome then ran from the area, police said. The gun was found along the route in which he fled.

Investigators learned that Newsome and the three victims knew each other.

Police worked overnight, finding Newsome in the area of E. 25th Avenue and N. 33rd Street and taking him into custody early Saturday morning. He was booked into the Orient Road Jail.

“I am incredibly proud of the dedication and efficiency demonstrated by our detectives and officers throughout this investigation,” Chief Bercaw said. “Their tireless work, combined with the tips and assistance provided by the community, allowed us to quickly remove a dangerous felon from the streets and bring a sense of closure to the families of the victims.”