Hundreds attend vigil after car smashes into Tampa gay club, killing four people and injuring 13
Tampa Police Department released footage of the car chase following the tragedy (Tampa PD)
Tampa Police Department released footage of the car chase following the tragedy (Tampa PD)
Four people were killed after a car smashed into a gay club in Florida at the weekend.
The alleged driver, 22-year-old Silas Kenneth Sampson, has been charged with four counts of vehicular homicide and four counts of aggravated fleeing or eluding with serious bodily injury or death, all first-degree felonies, after a car crashed into Bradley’s on 7th, following what has been described as a police chase on Saturday (8 November), the Tampa Bay Times reported.
The police said there was no indication that the bar was targeted intentionally.
Three people died at the scene and a fourth later in hospital. Thirteen others were injured. Police said, as of Saturday afternoon, two people were in hospital in a critical condition, seven were listed as stable and two had been treated and discharged. Two others, with only had minor injuries, declined treatment at the scene, according to Sky News.
“They were out in Ybor [city], having a good time, expecting to go home safely,” Tampa police chief Lee Bercaw said. “What happened was a senseless tragedy, our hearts are with the loved ones of the victims and all those [affected]. Reckless driving put innocent lives in danger.”
Writing on social media, bar owner Bradley Nelson said: “This event has been traumatic for my staff and myself. Our thoughts and prayers go to the families of those who were killed and to all the injured. Bradley’s on 7th is known for being a tight-knit family of employees and customers.
“Our customers are very loyal and have made Bradley’s on 7th what it is today.”
More than 100 people attended a vigil for the victims.
@pinknews Four people are d3ad and 13 injured after a driver crashed into Bradley’s on 7th, a gay bar in Tampa, Florida, during a police chase. The police said there was no indication that the bar was intentionally targeted. The suspect, named Silas Kenneth Sampson, 22, was arrested on charges including aggravated fleeing to elude police and vehicular homicide, according to the Tampa Bay Times. “They were out in Ybor, having a good time, expecting to go home safely,” Tampa police chief reported via the Tampa Bay Times “And a careless, reckless driver takes everybody’s lives in his hands.” The bar owner has also released a statement: "This event has been very traumatic for my entire staff, and myself. Our thoughts and prayers go to the families of those who were k1lled, and to all the injured. Bradley's on 7th is known for being a very tight-knit family of employees and customers. We ask you to remember all those killed and injured in your prayers, as we do the same." Over 100 people have attended a vigil held on Saturday night. #lgbtq #tampa #gaybar #lgbtqbar #nightlife ♬ Serious piano and strings, the end(973959) – 8.864
Police released overhead footage of the shocking incident, which shows two vehicles attempting to overtake each other at high speeds.
One of the cars, which police said Sampson was behind the wheel of, is then seen to break away as the driver loses control, before running through an intersection and hitting more than a dozen people on the bar’s patio.
