TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa police announced Thursday evening a second-degree murder charge for a 23-year-old suspect in connection to a sports bar shooting back in September.
Police said Miguel Lopez has been charged in the fatal shooting of 30-year-old Gabriel Thompkins outside of Flexx Sports Bar & Ultra Lounge.
Lopez, was removed from the sports bar for disorderly conduct, returned armed with a gun shortly after 2 a.m. on Sept. 13, according to police. After a 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, Tampa police said. Another person suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Lopez was detained at the scene, but later released amid the investigation into the case.
After their investigation, detectives were able to formally charge Lopez with murder, issuing an arrest warrant. He was located in the 2500 block of North Dale Mabry and arrested without incident.
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