TAMPA, Fla. — The man charged in a fatal shooting outside of a sports bar in Tampa was in court on Dec. 26 for his pretrial detention hearing.
Police said 23-year-old Miguel Lopez is facing a second-degree murder charge in the fatal shooting of 30-year-old Gabriel Thompkins outside of Flexx Sports Bar & Ultra Lounge back in September.
According to police, Lopez, who was removed from the sports bar for disorderly conduct, returned armed with a gun shortly after 2 a.m. on Sept. 13. Police said after an exchange that escalated to gunfire on East 7th Avenue, officers who were already on scene went to provide aid to Thompkins, who later died at a local hospital.
Officials said Lopez was detained at the scene but later released amid the investigation into the case. After their investigation, police said detectives were able to formally charge Lopez with second-degree murder.
At the hearing, Tampa Bay 28 learned Lopez hired an attorney and will be back in court on Jan. 13, 2026.
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