Gunman Kills Self After Shooting At Bondsman In Town 'N' Country

TOWN 'N' COUNTRY, FL — On Wednesday, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office responded to Five West Apartments at George Road and Net Drive in Town 'n' Country after a bondsman was shot in an attempt to serve a felony arrest warrant.

At 6:44 p.m., a bondsman seeking to serve a warrant for the trafficking of fentanyl reached out to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office for assistance.

After an unsuccessful first attempt to serve the warrant, the bondsman made contact with the man in the apartment at 8:07 p.m., where multiple shots were fired, one of which grazed the bondsman in the arm.

Deputies immediately secured the perimeter and evacuated residents of the apartment complex.
Deputies then tried to make contact with the gunman, who was believed to be the person being served the warrant, with negative results.

The crisis negotiation team, bomb team and SWAT were called in shortly and tried to talk the gunman into giving himself up.

At 10:41 p.m., the bomb team placed a robot in the apartment and confirmed the man had shot and killed himself.

"I'm thankful that due to the diligent and brave efforts of our deputies, no other innocent lives were impacted by this individual," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "This situation could have ended much differently had our team not swiftly assessed the scene and protected our citizens from a man determined not to be taken into custody. Incidents like this are why teamHCSO invests in technology to keep our community and personnel safe."

The criminal investigations division is working to identify the gunman.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, there are resources to help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day at 988. The Veterans Crisis Line connects veterans in crisis with Department of Veterans Affairs responders through a confidential toll-free hotline. Call 800-273-8255, press 1.

Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer updated the news media from the scene.