Child, 7, killed in July Fourth shooting on Courtney Campbell Causeway in Tampa

The boy’s grandfather was also shot in the incident Tuesday that began with an argument over personal watercraft, police said.

The argument started, police say, over concerns about the safety of children swimming along the Courtney Campbell Causeway on the July Fourth holiday. It ended in gunfire and a grandfather trying in vain to shield his 7-year-old grandson from flying bullets.

A round hit the boy in the head, killing him.

On Wednesday, detectives were still working to identify the people who pulled the triggers, and a Tampa police leader was once again imploring residents to come forward with tips and lamenting a shooting that escalated from flared tempers and led to a bystander’s death — in this case, a child’s.

“When folks are careless with their firearms, and they let that anger take over, now we see what occurs,” Calvin Johnson, deputy police chief of investigations and support, said at a news conference Wednesday morning. “These innocent bystanders become a victim to something they knew nothing about.”

https://www.tampabay.com/news/breaking-news/2023/07/05/child-7-killed-july-fourth-shooting-courtney-campbell-causeway-tampa/