TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa police have charged a 74-year-old man with murder in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred Saturday along Fowler Avenue.
According to the Tampa Police Department, Alan Barber, 74, was charged with murder following an investigation into the death of a woman in her 70s.
Police said Barber and the victim, who had known each other for more than two decades, were traveling together in a white Chevrolet pickup truck with Barber driving and the woman in the passenger seat.
Investigators determined the pair had been involved in a disagreement that began at a local restaurant and continued while they were driving along Fowler Avenue.
According to police, the argument escalated inside the truck and Barber fatally shot the woman before pulling into a business parking lot and stopping the vehicle.
Officers responded to the scene in the 4100 block of E. Fowler Ave. shortly before 11:30 a.m. Saturday and secured the area.
Detectives recovered the firearm and impounded the pickup truck as evidence.
Barber was taken into custody without incident on Saturday and transported to the Orient Road Jail, TPD said.
Acting Chief Brett Owen said detectives worked quickly to determine what led to the deadly encounter.
“Violence is not the answer to conflict, and there is never a disagreement that should end with the tragic loss of a life,” Owen said in a statement. “This man chose to end an argument by using a gun, and he will now face justice for his decision.”
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