TAMPA, Fla. – A deadly standoff in Tampa ended with the killing of a 19-year-old man, who allegedly shot and killed both of his parents and injured a sheriff’s deputy. The incident occurred early Saturday evening, after deputies responded to a call about a shooting at a residence.
According to authorities, deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the scene around 11:15 p.m. after a woman reported that her husband had been shot. While the dispatcher was on the phone with her, multiple gunshots were heard, and deputies arrived to find the suspect, Christos Alexander, and his mother outside the home.
Alexander allegedly shot his mother in the back of the head and fired at the deputies, injuring 26-year-old Deputy Shane McGough. The sheriff’s office said that five deputies returned fire, hitting Alexander and knocking him to the ground. However, he managed to crawl back inside the home and barricaded himself inside.
The HCSO SWAT team, crisis negotiators, and a robot were deployed to the scene to help enter the home. Deputies used a robot to enter the home through the front door, where they found the father deceased. The SWAT team then entered the home and found Alexander dead from his injuries in another room.
McGough was hospitalized at St. Joseph’s Hospital and is expected to recover from his injuries, which included a bullet wound to his leg. Deputies used a tourniquet to stop the bleeding and provided lifesaving measures.
The sheriff praised the deputies’ actions, saying they did a great job and that their training kicked in, allowing them to render aid and remove McGough from the dangerous situation. The sheriff also said that Alexander had a history of mental health issues and violence against his parents, with deputies responding to the home 10 times before the deadly shooting.
The sheriff expressed frustration that Alexander had access to a gun, despite having an active risk protection order against him and his firearms being seized by authorities. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident.
