An announcement was made on Wednesday by officials that a youngster who is 14 years old has been charged with murder in connection to the mass shooting that occurred in Ybor City on October 29. The boy will be tried as an adult.
Kayden Abney, who is 14 years old, has been charged with the murder of Harrison Boonstoppel, who was 20 years old, according to the announcement made by Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw during a press conference on Wednesday.
“I can tell you that while this arrest is a huge and significant development in this case, our work is not done,” Bercaw said. “We will continue to hold (suspects) accountable for any act of violence – in this incident or any other incident in the city of Tampa.”
“He’s just such a beautiful kid,” said Brucie Boonstoppel, Harrison’s mother. “I have been the mother of mothers watching over him my whole life.”
During the opening of fire along 7th Avenue, the primary thoroughfare of the entertainment district, at least one gunman was responsible for the deaths of two individuals and the injuries of sixteen others.
“The bullet that killed my son,” Boonstoppel explained. “Went through all his organs, up into his heart, put a big hole in his heart.”
Despite the fact that Tyrell Phillips, age 22, was charged with the shooting death of a 14-year-old, the Tampa police department has continued their search for additional suspicious individuals.
A 14-year-old boy is charged with murder and will be tried as an adult in connection to the Oct. 29 Ybor City mass shooting:
#BREAKING: A 14-year-old boy is charged with murder and will be tried as an adult in connection to the Oct. 29 Ybor City mass shooting. STORY: https://t.co/WuZ5tGTFgy pic.twitter.com/NKSinF9Byl
— WFLA NEWS (@WFLA) December 7, 2023
Bercaw stated that the events that took place in this location are unacceptable, and that our community has banded together to hold all of those individuals responsible for their actions.
Additional shooters are continuously being sought after by our team. “We continue to encourage members of the community to provide information to the FBI portal or to Crime Stoppers.”
Due to the fact that Abney was scheduled to be released from juvenile jail on Wednesday, the authorities worked hard to bring the additional accusations against him.
Currently, he is being charged with attempted murder, attempted aggravated violence, and attempted murder in the second degree with a firearm offence.
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Previous allegations against him included carrying a hidden firearm and being a minor in possession of a firearm while wearing a mask that he was wearing.
“This is not the environment that our kids should have,” Boonstoppel lamented. “Much less having the chance that they could die on the streets of Tampa.”
Despite his young age, Abney is “no stranger” to the criminal justice system, according to Suzy Lopez, who is the state attorney for Hillsborough County. Based on Lopez’s information, there are eleven cases that are currently underway against him in the juvenile court system.
“This defendant is the perfect example of why we must take a strong stance against juvenile gun violence in our community,” Lopez said. “He is no stranger to the juvenile justice system, but he will no longer be treated like a juvenile.”
The Tampa Police Department is conducting a hunt for multiple individuals who are accused of shooting. It is strongly recommended that anyone who has information that could be of assistance to the investigation submit their tip to the FBI information site or get in touch with Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay.