Just before 7:00 PM on Friday night, a Hispanic male in his early-50’s was walking his two dachshunds in the 2600 block of W. Powhatan Avenue when an armed black male came up from behind him, pointed a gun, and demanded money. The dogs became agitated and were moving around when the suspect shot at them multiple times, hitting one of the dogs.
The victim took both his dogs in his arms and began running, trying to get away from the suspect. The suspect began chasing the victim and fired two more times. The victim was able to escape. He immediately took his dogs to an emergency veterinarian, where the dog who was shot died from the injuries.
Tampa Police are actively looking for the suspect in this case. He is described as a thin black male, approximately 6’4”. He was wearing a black hoodie, gray sweatpants, and armed with a handgun when he was last seen running eastbound on W. Powhatan Avenue.
Anyone with information that could assist detectives identify and arrest this suspect is asked to contact Tampa Police by calling 813.231.6130, downloading the TampaPD app, or sending a tip through TIP411.