Lakeland police believe 4 shooters involved in drive-by shooting that wounded 11 - FOX 13 Tampa

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Published January 31, 2023 5:33AM

Updated 3:19PM

Full property conference: Lakeland constabulary update connected shooting that near 11 injured

Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor says investigators person recovered the fishy conveyance successful Monday's drive-by shooting that near 11 radical injured.

LAKELAND, Fla. - The constabulary main of Lakeland said 1 much idiosyncratic showed up astatine a infirmary aft a drive-by shooting Monday, bringing the full fig of victims to 11. 

Officers judge they recovered the conveyance that was seen connected surveillance video driving by erstwhile gunshots rang out, but they're inactive searching for the 4 suspects who were inside.

The shooting happened on North Iowa Avenue adjacent Plum Street astir 3:43 p.m. Monday. 

Officers got determination wrong 1 infinitesimal aft receiving aggregate 911 calls, the main explained.

Reward offered

Lakeland constabulary are offering a $5,000 reward with Heartland Crime Stoppers for accusation that tin pb to an arrest. 

Anonymous tips tin beryllium submitted by dialing 1-800-226-8477 or heading to the website: www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com. 

Blue Altima located aft shooting 

Chief Sam Taylor said a acheronian bluish four-door Nissan Altima – which had a impermanent tag – was seen slowing adjacent the shooting scene, with the windows rolled down. Investigators accidental they judge 4 radical were wrong the vehicle, but 2 were shooting.

Officers said the conveyance was seen speeding disconnected aft shots rang out.

Raw surveillance video: Lakeland drive-by shooting injured 11

The Lakeland Police Department provided surveillance video from a Ring camera wherever a shooter opened occurrence from a vehicle, injuring 11 radical Monday.

"We person a precocious level of assurance that we person located the vehicle," helium said during Tuesday's property conference. "We person immoderate precise promising leads."

The constabulary main didn't specify wherever investigators recovered the Altima.

Now that they person the car, they're looking for the radical who were inside. 

Victims rushed to hospitals

Three victims were recovered astatine the country erstwhile officers arrived and were each taken to the hospital. 

Bystanders utilized their ain vehicles to instrumentality respective others to adjacent hospitals. 

The 11th unfortunate walked into Lakeland Regional Hospital Monday evening. All of the victims were male.

Vehicle Lakeland constabulary judge was utilized successful drive-by shooting

Nine victims were expected to beryllium released from the infirmary sometime Tuesday. 

One unfortunate had country the erstwhile nighttime and would stay hospitalized.

Another was changeable successful the look and has since been taken to Tampa General Hospital.

Police, neighbors hunt for answers

Chief Taylor said successful his 3 decades with the agency, helium has ne'er worked a lawsuit similar this.

"This doesn't hap successful Lakeland," Chief Taylor said. "I've been present 34 years, and I tin archer you I person ne'er worked an lawsuit wherever this galore radical person been changeable astatine 1 time, ever."

Aerial presumption of drive-by shooting country connected North Iowa Avenue adjacent Plum Street 

Investigators bash not judge the shooting was random. However, constabulary said they are not definite if each victims were targeted oregon if immoderate whitethorn person been caught successful the crossfire.

Chief Taylor said astir 25 officers and 15 detectives responded to the shooting. 

Tina Smith, who lives successful the neighborhood, shared location information footage with FOX 13, saying her children conscionable got disconnected the schoolhouse autobus earlier bullets started flying. In the 30-second clip, shots were heard.

"Get successful the house," she said successful the video. "I'll telephone for help."

Multiple shots heard successful Lakeland vicinity surveillance video

Tina Smith shared her location surveillance video, capturing the infinitesimal aft children exited a schoolhouse autobus and erstwhile the drive-by shooting occurred successful her Lakeland neighborhood.

Police said they recovered a ample magnitude of marijuana astatine the country and indicated determination was perchance immoderate benignant of cause merchantability astatine the time.

"It conscionable reminds you however abbreviated beingness is," Smith said. "Any infinitesimal tin beryllium taken from you whether you person thing to bash with it oregon not."

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