MIAMI.- A tragedy shook the community of Tampa, Florida, after a 19-year-old young man murdered his parents and injured an officer during a confrontation in which he was killed, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the authorities’ story, on Saturday night, on the eve of Father’s Day, an emergency call was received through the 911 system about a shooting in the 14000 block of Cactus Wren Place Street, in the area of Carrollwood, in Tampa.
The young man’s mother, who made the call, reported that her husband had been shot, while gunshots were heard on the other end of the phone.
Facts and identities
Upon arriving at the scene, officers found Christos Alexander Themelis Jr., 19, and his mother outside the residence. Immediately afterwards, the woman was also the victim of a fatal shot by her son, according to the police report.
The parents were identified as Christos Byron Themelis, 51, and Rebecca Ann Themelis, 48.
Sheriff Chad Chronister said the suspect opened fire on officers responding to the scene, resulting in one of the officers being injured and taken to a medical facility.
The situation required the intervention of a bomb squad, SWAT and negotiation experts, as Christos Alexander barricaded himself inside the house.
Finally, upon entering the residence, authorities found Alexander dead, as a result of the officers’ response.
It was also reported that Officer Shane McGough, wounded in the exchange of gunfire, is currently in stable condition.
“A monster”
The sheriff commented that his agents put their lives at risk, but they managed to restore tranquility to a neighborhood that could have been in great danger.
“The monster we encountered tonight is responsible for not only injuring our deputy but also killing his own mother and father,” Sheriff Chronister said.
“Our officers responded to a chaotic scene and immediately put themselves in harm’s way to protect our community. Without our officer’s quick and skillful response, an entire neighborhood would have been in danger,” he explained.
The sheriff’s office reported the identities of the five deputies involved in this incident:
- Deputy Shane McGough, 26 years old, two years service.
- Deputy Brandon Schade, 26 years old, one year of service.
- Representative Richard Ziegler, 33 years old, nine years of service.
- Deputy Bjar Atkins, 38 years old, 13 years of service.
- Deputy Ciara Moncada, 34 years old, two years of service.
Neither officer had previously used deadly force, according to the sheriff’s office report.
In accordance with Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office policy, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting.
