Members of the Tampa Police Department, Florida Highway Patrol and St. Petersburg Fire Rescue responded to reports of a shooting along the northbound lanes of I-275, near Milepost 35, on the Howard Frankland Bridge.
The incident occurred at approximately 11:14 a.m. on Friday, November 12, 2021.
Troopers located a Nissan SUV occupied by two Marco Island men, aged 23 and 22 years, stopped along the shoulder of the roadway.
According to troopers, the 22-year-old passenger was found to have a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head from a 9MM handgun and was transported to an area hospital in critical condition. At approximately 9 p.m., troopers reported that the injured man died from his injuries.
As of 3:15 p.m., FHP reports that the northbound outside lane and emergency shoulder near Milepost 35 will remain closed for the next several hours. Motorists are urged to use caution and seek other routes leading to Tampa.
The investigation continues.