TAMPA, Fla. — A teenager was taken to the hospital after being shot at Curtis Hixon Park on Sunday.
Tampa Police said they were dispatched around 9 p.m. after getting reports of a person being shot.
When they arrived, they found a 16-year-old boy had been shot in the park. Good Samaritans provided first aid to the teenager until he was transported to the hospital. He is still in critical condition.
Though early in the investigation, police believe two groups got into an altercation of some sort that escalated into the boy being shot.
Police do not believe this is a random act and are developing leads on possible suspects.
The shooting happened just feet away from the park's Winter Village, which offers ice skating, a holiday market, and other seasonal activities to local and visitors alike.
Shane Neukam, whose local distillery — Dark Door Spirits — has a booth in the winter market, was at the park at the time of the shooting. He said if he heard the shot, he mistook it for a firework. He and other vendors, however, saw the aftermath as police rushed to the park.
“It’s very unfortunate, and you know, it’s never easy, especially when it’s younger people involved," he said.
Even though Neukam said he is not scared to be back at the park, he is worried that people are becoming more and more desensitized to gun violence.
"You know, we see this kind of stuff happen more frequently that we need to," he said.
Mattress Scott, who lost his son, Marquis Scott, in a 2019 shooting, is trying to make sure violence does not become normal through a non-profit he founded in his son’s name: Quis for Life.
“We need these kids to learn that love is the key," Scott said.
Scott would like to see more equity and inclusion in education. He would also like for schools to offer more conflict resolution and mental health training to address what he believes are some of the root causes of violence.
“If we don’t get a handle on this, I grew up in inner-city Chicago, I’m going to tell you…it can get bad, and it can get worse," he said.
As for the shooting at Curtis Hixon Park, anyone with information is urged to contact Tampa Police at 813-231-6130 or send a text through the TampaPD app.
