Two Tampa homicide detectives accused Kadyn Abney last week of shooting the revolver that killed Harrison Boonstoppel as he slouched in a chair, hands in his lap, with his father sitting by his side. After the tragic shooting death of innocent bystander Boonstoppel on October 29 in Ybor City, the 14-year-old was asked whether he had any words to offer the family of the victim.
“I apologize,” Abney said, “for firing the gun that killed Harrison.” This brief video clip was shown in a Tampa courtroom on Tuesday during prosecutors’ arguments for keeping Abney in jail without bail pending his trial for second-degree murder and other crimes. The clip is less than one minute long.
After reviewing the case, Hillsborough Circuit Judge Robin Fuson agreed that Abney was a public safety risk and approved the motion. Choked and chained at the ankles, the adolescent sat. The homicide accusation he is facing was indicated by his crimson jail shirt. He donned a yellow vest over an orange jacket to let jail staff know he’s a juvenile.
In the gunfight that occurred on October 29 and resulted in the deaths of two people and injuries to fifteen others, Abney is the second individual to be charged with murder. At a separate hearing that took place towards the end of last month, Fuson also ordered 22-year-old Tyrell Phillips to remain in custody until trial.
The jurors and media in the courtroom were the subjects of Abney’s inquisitive glances. While he looked down at the floor or covered his face with his hands, he occasionally leaned forward, placing his head on a defense table. His folks were seated in the gallery behind him. It looked like his mom was crying.
On the other side of the aisle were Boonstoppel’s folks. Neither of the families made an appearance in court. Near Centro Ybor, on Seventh Avenue, where a large number of people were partying in their Halloween costumes late into the night, gunfire erupted just before three in the morning. Many were worried about the security of the famous entertainment area after the violent outburst.
Residents and business owners alike are worried about being forced out of their homes, and some have demanded measures to curb the area’s late-night activities. Phillips was the one who allegedly opened fire, killing Abney’s buddy Elijah Wilson, 14, according to the prosecution.
Phillips claimed self-defense when he shot the officers, but the state contended that the footage disproved his story. Again during Tuesday’s hearing, the state presented a plethora of cellphone and camera footage showing two factions of youths violently arguing in the midst of the packed street. As shots rang out, hundreds of people sprang and started running.
According to the testimony of Detective Joshua Kennedy of the Tampa Police Department, Abney is captured on film shortly after the initial bursts of gunfire, standing near a succession of muzzle flashes. It is thought that he was the one who fired the shots that produced a casing of 9 mm bullets. Mortally wounded was 20-year-old Boonstoppel by a 9 mm bullet.
The prosecution contended that Abney is associated with the “No Hesitation Committee” (or “NHC” for short). A group of pals residing in the Cross Fletcher neighborhood of Tampa, just west of USF, were the ones who were described. The group is not formally regarded as a gang, according to Detective Tara Shute of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
You can check the below tweet:
Why was a 14 year old out at 4am in a clubbing area? NO MERCY
14-year-old accused in Ybor City shooting to remain jailed https://t.co/nw8k1VayZv— JEFFREY DAUGHERTY: UNindoctrinate! (@Unindoctrinate) December 13, 2023
However, the state presented a string of films from YouTube showing the gang rapping and showing off weapons and money. Abney and Wilson, the latter of whom was murdered in the Ybor shooting, were among the individuals identified by Shute as appearing in the tapes. The authorities maintained that NHC’s animosity with K4K—an acronym for “Kill for Kamari”—was well-known.
The Town ‘N Country region is home to the group’s headquarters. Although K4K has not been formally recognized as a gang, they have made references to their apparent enmity with NHC in rap songs that were shown during an earlier court hearing. According to the state’s argument, the shooting started when the two groups’ members crossed paths in Ybor streets.
Attempting retaliation, Abney had witnessed Wilson being shot. According to Assistant State Attorney Justin Diaz, Abney is attempting to assassinate Tyrell Phillips. A murder has just occurred involving his pal… His chosen target is evading him. He is shooting unarmed civilians.
Charges against Abney include armed robbery and grand theft of a motor vehicle, as highlighted by the prosecutor in his extensive arrest record. By arguing that the state had failed to prove that it was Abney who fired the gunshot that killed Boonstoppel, Assistant Public Defender Elizabeth Beardsley sought to cast doubt on the state’s evidence.
The defense attorney further brought up the fact that Abney was treated for mental illness after being found incompetent in multiple instances involving the juvenile court. After investigators accused him of causing the fatal shooting multiple times, Beardsley said, he finally apologised. “He is presumed innocent of those charges,” she said.
The shooting has not yet been fully investigated. A third arrest was announced last week by the police. Prosecutors have charged 21-year-old Dwayne Tillman with attempted murder and aggravated violence causing serious bodily damage. He will not be eligible for release from jail until his trial, which is scheduled for Friday, so he is still in there.
According to the police, they still haven’t caught the person who shot the shots. For information that results in an arrest, a reward of $27,000 has been offered. The FBI has set up an internet portal at fbi.gov/tampashooting for anyone who may have information, including footage or images of the incident, to submit.
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