2 More 'Persons of Interest' Announced in Elkino Watson Slaying

The Tampa Police Department is looking for help identifying several people it says might help them close the case on the Sunday slaying of former University of South Florida football player Elkino Watson.

Watson, 23, died after being stabbed around 2:45 a.m. in Ybor City. Police say a fight broke out on the corner of 19th Street and 7th Avenue. During the fight, Watson and his friend, Desmond Horne, 22, were both stabbed.

Horne and Watson were able to run for help and were taken to a local hospital for treatment. Watson, however, succumbed to his injuries. Horne, police said, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Both men are from Miami and were reportedly in Ybor City for The Orpheum nightclub’s post USF vs. FAMU after party.

See Also:

• Former USF Football Player Dies After Stabbing

Watson was a former defensive lineman whose career with the Bulls ended in 2014. He was a four-year letterman at the school and played 45 career games, starting in 19.

On Tuesday morning, police released surveillance photos of several people wanted for questioning in the case. The person in the blue shirt has been identified by the department as a person of interest, an email from the agency stated. The person in the plaid shirt is believed to be a witness. Photos of two other possible “persons of interest” were released Tuesday afternoon. A woman officers said earlier in the day might have been a witness has been identified and interviewed, the agency announced.

A $3,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest is being offered. Tips may be submitted through Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-873-TIPS.

Surveillance photos courtesy of the Tampa Police Department. The man in blue is a person of interest in the case, the department says, while the man in the plaid shirt is a possible witness to the stabbing. The two men in the black-and-white photos have also been identified as persons of interest in the case.

Editor’s note: This story was updated Sept. 8 at 2:45 p.m. with the latest information from the Tampa Police Department.