Armed Attempted Carjacker Shot Dead by Business Manager in Sun City

On June 4, 2019 around 9:10 a.m., the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office received a call for a shooting in the parking lot of Publix at 4854 Sun City Blvd.

Once on scene, deputies found a black male with a gun shot wound to the upper body. He was transported to South Bay Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Detectives believe, prior to the shooting, the deceased attempted to carjack at least four vehicles and enter businesses in the complex armed with a handgun.  All of the vehicles had their doors locked during the attempts.

During that time, an employee at a nearby business notified the manager about the deceased behavior in the parking lot. The manager then went outside to check his vehicle. The manager was confronted by the deceased, who was armed. The manager fired his legally-owned firearm in self defense, hitting the deceased.

At this time no charges are filed.  The manager has asked for an attorney prior to speaking with investigators.

The deceased has an extensive criminal history involving narcotics. The history includes at least ten felony arrests.  Next of kin has yet to be notified.  He believed to be a Pinellas County resident.

This is an active investigation and additional updates will be forthcoming.