HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY — A driver who stopped to help a man waving a flashlight on Main Street was met with gunfire instead, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office says it has arrested the pedestrian it identifies as the shooter.
Just before 1 a.m. on Sept. 29, deputies responded to a shooting report near Main Street and Grovewood Avenue in the Thonotosassa area, according to HCSO release 26-163 issued Oct. 1. A motorist heading east on Main Street pulled over after a man walking along the roadway flagged him down with a flashlight. When the driver stopped to help, the man fired multiple rounds, striking the vehicle five times, the sheriff’s office said.
The driver was able to get away and drove to a nearby gas station to call HCSO. Authorities have not released the driver’s name. HCSO said the victim was not struck by the gunfire.
Arrest and charges
Detectives identified the suspect as Franklin Windham, 32, obtained a search warrant for his residence and found a firearm matching the caliber used in the shooting, HCSO said.
“This man saw someone he thought needed help and stepped in. His kindness was met with violence,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in the release. “The suspect has been charged with attempted murder and will face the consequences for his actions.”
Windham was arrested and charged with attempted second-degree murder (firearm discharge), shooting into a vehicle, discharging a firearm in public or on residential property, criminal mischief of $1,000 or more, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, according to HCSO.
The sheriff’s office said the investigation remains active and that a motive has not been released. Local outlets including FOX 13 and WFLA reported the arrest from the HCSO announcement late Thursday.