A 16-year-old has been arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder after shots were fired Wednesday evening at the Brandon Exchange, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded after the 911 Dispatch Center received multiple calls beginning at 5:16 p.m. on November 11, reporting shots fired inside the mall. More than 100 deputies responded. The first deputy arrived one minute after being dispatched as deputies secured the scene and evacuated businesses.
Investigators said witness interviews and surveillance footage showed a physical altercation between two groups in a hallway near the mall’s family room. After the altercation, several people ran into the mall’s main corridor. One person was knocked to the ground, and another, identified as 16-year-old Daeshaun Williams, began firing a handgun, the sheriff’s office said.
Detectives identified Williams as the suspect. He faces the following charges.
- Minor in Possession of Firearm (2nd Offense)
- Trespass in Occupied Structure or Conveyance
- Discharge Firearm in Public or on Residential Property
- Attempted Aggravated Battery Great Bodily Harm Firearm – Discharge
- Attempted Murder in the First Degree Premeditated Firearm – Discharge
- Tampering With Physical Evidence
- Child Violation of Probation
“Our detectives moved quickly to identify the suspect, and he is now in custody and charged with attempted murder,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said.
No one was struck by gunfire. One person suffered a minor injury from broken glass.
The sheriff’s office described the shooting as an isolated incident involving people known to one another. Detectives are working to confirm the identities of others involved in the altercation.
The investigation remains ongoing.
