TAMPA, FLA. — A Father's Day block party in West Tampa ended in tragedy Sunday night. Tampa Police Department says a man was shot and killed during a large community gathering. Now, Tampa police is working to disperse a false narrative circulating on social media that an officer was responsible for the shooting.
Kevondre Thomas, 29, was shot around 10 p.m. Sunday near the intersection of North Albany Avenue and West Main Street, where hundreds of people had gathered for an informal, annual Father's Day block party. He was transported to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.
WATCH: Father's Day block party turns deadly in West Tampa; police dispute false narrative about officer involvement
Tampa Police Deputy Chief Patrick Messmer addressed the media Monday morning, extending condolences to the Thomas family and pushing back firmly against claims spreading online.
"No Tampa police officer fired their weapon or was in any way, shape or form involved in this shooting. This was ashooting that arose from what we believe out of some sort of disturbance," Messmer said.
Watch press conference from the Tampa Police Department:
Officers had been called to the area to disperse the crowd, which had grown significantly larger as the night went on. Messmer said the gathering had been going on for a couple of hours without major incident before the situation escalated near the end of the night.
Body camera footage released by Tampa Police shows officers running toward Thomas after the shooting and immediately rendering aid. Messmer said that while officers were trying to help Thomas, people in the crowd threw liquids on them, and at least one officer was approached by individuals whose intentions were unclear as she worked to save Thomas' life.
Watch video
When I asked how the false narrative about officer involvement began, Messmer said he did not know, but pointed to the volume of social media video being posted without verification.
"I don't know, you know. Again, there were a large number of people out of this gathering, people started taking social media videos and posting them, and obviously on social media, anybody can just post whatever they want to without any kind of regard for the truth," Messmer said.
Messmer said the gathering did not have a permit and was not officially sanctioned.
"We are not going to allow any kind of illegal activity, we're not going to allow block parties to take over our streets, our sidewalks, so when we see things like that starting, we are going to address them quickly," Messmer said.
Neighbors Annie and Vanessa had been at the block party for most of the day and said the atmosphere was calm and family-friendly while they were there. The two said they left around 9 p.m., about an hour before the shooting.
"It was nice, comfortable. I mean, everybody was having fun, people just walking up and down the streets," Annie said.
Vanessa said she never felt unsafe during the time they were there.
The sisters described the event as a community tradition. Vanessa said her son even hosts a free Father's Day breakfast for fathers in the neighborhood each year. They said children were present throughout the day and that the crowd was largely made up of adults in their late 20s and older.
When I told them about the shooting Monday morning, both women expressed disbelief and frustration.
"Disgusted, that we can come together as one, as a unit, and just have fun without guns and foreplay, and all that.We got kids out here. I mean, it's nothing wrong with having fun, but why the other stuff have to come in? Why can't we all just get along?" Annie said.
On Monday, detectives were seen going in and out of businesses near the scene, including a liquor store near where Thomas was shot. A homeowner in the area told me that after the shooting, people began ducking behind fences and crawling to hide underneath porches.
Messmer said investigators believe the shooting was not a random act of violence, but rather grew out of a specific disturbance or disagreement. He said detectives do not yet know how many suspects may be involved and have not released a suspect description.
"It does appear that this was an event that had something to do with that fight, that disturbance. It doesn't appear that this was a random act of violence," Messmer said.
People in the neighborhood tell me they're also concerned about the real time crime camera that once sat at the intersection. Some believe it was taken down about a week ago.
I asked about that during the news conference, but Messmer said he did not have specific details on the status of that camera.
"There are a lot of businesses in that area that may have video. There are a lot of other witnesses who may beable to be identified in that specific area," Messmer said.
Messmer also addressed the broader issue of gun violence at community gatherings.
"Nobody should be solving their problems with firearms. The mindset of a lot of people, unfortunately, is thatthey want to bring guns to events, they want to walk around with guns, and when they have a problem withsomeone, their first thought is to solve that problem with violence. That is the wrong answer. People need to lookat more constructive methods to solve the problem. Solve your problems with words. Walk away fromsituations," Messmer said.
The homicide investigation remains active and ongoing.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call 813-231-6130 and reference case number: 2026-367709.
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