Bryton Dunbar, a 31-year-old individual, has been apprehended by the police on charges of three counts of attempted homicide in connection with a shooting incident at the Tru by Hilton St. Petersburg Downtown parking garage at 1650 Central Avenue.
On May 1, 2023, around 12:30 p.m., law enforcement authorities and fire rescue teams swiftly responded to a distress call reporting gunshots at the Tru by Hilton St. Petersburg. Upon arriving at the scene, officers from the St. Petersburg Department found a 25-year-old male employee of the hotel who had sustained injuries.
Paramedics also provided immediate medical assistance to an additional victim, a 29-year-old woman, who was also in the parking garage at the time.
Fortunately, the two victims’ injuries were non-life threatening, and they are recovering. The third individual involved, a male, did not sustain any injuries.
Dunbar parked his vehicle on the 2nd floor of the parking garage. According to arrest documentation, Dunbar attempted to shoot the victim with a rifle that jammed. The original victim was able to flee the scene. He then pulled a handgun from his pants pocket and shot the two other victims. One was a hotel employee, and the other was an acquaintance of the initial victim.
Dunbar was identified via DNA collected from the scene. He was eventually taken into custody after fleeing from Deputies at 11200 N Frontage Road N.
Authorities have stated that this shooting was not a random act of violence. It has been revealed that at least two of the victims and the suspect were acquainted with each other.
As the investigation is ongoing, further details are yet to be disclosed.
Dunbar has at least a dozen previous arrests in Pinellas County, with charges ranging from felonious possession of a firearm to drug possession.