TPD: Multiple people shot, two killed at Apalachee Parkway shopping center
Gunfire in the parking lot of an Apalachee Parkway shopping center left two men dead and unknown others with gunshot injuries early Sunday morning.
The Tallahassee Police Department responded shortly after 2:30 a.m. to Parkway Center after getting a call about gun shots. They found "multiple" gunshot victims, including two men who died at the scene.
The mass shooting happened as residents, officials and first responders are still grappling with the impacts of the twin tornadoes that lashed wide swaths of Tallahassee with winds as high as 100 mph.
The USA TODAY Network and Tallahassee Democrat define a mass shooting as an incident in which at least four people are hit with gunfire, even if there are no fatalities.
A TPD watch commander told the Democrat that none of the businesses were open at the time and that the shooting occurred outside. Businesses in the shopping center reported as late as Saturday night that they still didn't have power following Friday's tornadoes that left much of the city in the dark.
At least a dozen officers were still on scene several hours after the shooting occurred. Crime scene tape was clearly visible in the parking lot from the corner of the parkway at Magnolia Drive all the way to Harbor Freight Tools business.
More than 80 evidence markers were scattered around the scene, and police had put up barriers around the two bodies, which were in the parking lot in front of Ross Dress for Less. A resident in a nearby neighborhood awoke to the sound of gunshots and then the sirens of police descending on the scene. He told the Democrat he heard upwards of 20 gunshots.
"Officers arrived on scene and located multiple victims with gunshot wounds," TPD said. "Sadly, two adult males were pronounced dead at the scene. Two other adult victims were transported to a local hospital with gunshot wounds. However, their condition is unknown."
TPD did not say whether there were suspects at large or anyone had been taken into custody or arrested.
"This remains an open and active investigation, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available," TPD said.
The Democrat asked TPD spokespersons the following questions, but there was no response.
Is there a suspect or arrests?
Should citizens be cautious that a suspect is at large?
Is this considered an isolated incident?
Was a crowd gathered in the lot ahead of the mass shooting?
Do we believe the victims to be the intended targets of the shooting?
So far in 2024, 13 people have been killed and 23 injured in 30 shooting incidents in Tallahassee and Leon County, according to a Democrat analysis of gun violence.
Detectives asks that anyone who may have witnessed the shooting but didn't speak with officers on scene to call TPD at 850-891-4200. Witness can also call the anonymous Crime Solvers line at 850-574-TIPS.
A history of mass shootings in Florida's capital city
The incident is the city's fourth mass shooting since 2022.
The last mass shooting occurred in August during an overnight party outside the Acasa Ocala Apartments when a fight broke out between two groups and bullets began to fly, injuring four people – a man, two women and a teenager
In late 2022, the city saw two mass shootings about a month apart, which inflicted fatal injuries on two innocent bystanders and injured a dozen others.
The first took place on West Pensacola Street when a gun battle began in a crowd of revelers. The second occurred at the outdoor basketball courts at Florida A&M University's Student Recreation Center when a man approached the court and began firing.
In late April, the USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida reported that after a Daytona Beach shooting in which four people were injured, Florida has most mass shootings in U.S. so far in 2024. Before the Tallahassee incident, there were 12 mass shootings in Florida so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA).
Mass shootings by the numbers: With Daytona Beach shooting, Florida has most mass shootings in U.S. so far in 2024. Here's where
TPD says shooting happened outside pool hall; business owner and reporter at the scene say that's not the case
In a Facebook post, the Tallahassee Police Department reported that the shooting happened outside Zingales Billiards and Sports Bar, located at 1147 Apalachee Parkway. But the owner of the establishment, when contacted by the Democrat, said that's not the case.
He woke up Sunday morning with his "phone blowing up."
Michael Zingale told the Democrat in an interview that the pool hall was closed like the neighboring businesses.
"We’ve been out of power and so we haven’t even been open the past three days," he said.
Earlier in the day he and his father, Florida executive director of Department of Revenue Jim Zingale, were throwing out spoiled food and extracting water from the business so they could open when the power is restored.
There was no police tape or evidence markers in front of Zingales. And he was told the incident occurred in front of the nearby liquor store, but even that was closed.
He assumed there was some kind of parking lot party in the darkened lot, but police have not shared any details.
Zingale noted that when they are open late they have private security and police in the business and outside.
"I'm really sad to say that if I had been opened, I bet you that wouldn’t have happened," he said.
Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or 850-599-2180.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee Police: Two killed in mass shooting at Apalachee Parkway lot
