2 people dead, 1 injured in SoHo shooting, Tampa police say

Two men died and another was injured in an early morning shooting in the South Howard area of Tampa on Sunday.

Tampa police officers on patrol in the area heard gunshots just before 3 a.m. and responded to a parking lot in the 500 block of South Howard Avenue, according to a media release.

Police discovered three men were injured and all were taken to a hospital, where two of the men died. Police identified the two men killed as Kenneth Washington, 28, and Kevon Christmas, 23.

The third injured man, who was not named, remained in the hospital in stable condition, police said.

No others were injured, police said.

Police have not made any arrests in the shooting, said Tampa police Chief Lee Bercaw during a news conference around 5:45 a.m.

All the men taken to the hospital were over the age of 21, Bercaw said.

Police said prior to the shooting, the three men were engaged in a dispute that escalated.

“We do know the groups knew each other and had a beef with one another,” Bercaw said.

Police are asking the public to come forward with any video footage of the shooting.

Bercaw said the shooting occurred in front of the Jimmy John’s located in The Shops on South Howard, at 533 S. Howard Ave.

“These senseless acts of violence that occurred this morning happened in an area that was busy,” said Hillsborough County State Attorney Susan Lopez, who also spoke to media Sunday morning. “There were lots of people here, there were also lots of Tampa police officers here.”

The shooting occurred in an area of Tampa often dubbed SoHo, near a popular strip of bars and restaurants, and less than a mile from Hyde Park Village.

Police are asking anyone with information to call Tampa police at 813-231-6130 or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers of Tampa bay at 800-873-8477.