Florida teen, 19, killed in a shootout after murdering parents, wounding police deputy
Hillsborough County Sheriff branded the teen boy with past run-ins with law enforcement a “monster” while speaking of the “truly scary” tragic turn of events.
A 19-year-old Florida teen fatally gunned down his parents at their home and shot an officer in a standoff caught on the deputy's bodycam before he was killed in the gunfight on Saturday night.
According to the New York Post, Christos Alexander Themelis murdered his parents - execution style. He first shot his father, Christos Byron Themelis, 51, inside their Florida home and then killed his mother, Rebecca Ann Themelis, 48, on the front lawn. These events reportedly transpired in front of officers just after 11 pm, the Hillsborough CountySheriff's Office said.
Themelis' mother had initially rung up the police in a “frantic” 911 call, telling dispatch that her son had fatally shot her husband. Sheriff Chad Chronister said the deputies rushed to the Themelis' residence upon receiving the call as more gunfire followed on the other end.
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What happened between the police deputies and the Florida teen?
Once the authorities reached the home on Cactus Wren Place, Tampa, they advised the teen boy's mother to walk towards them. However, as she stood in the front yard, her son ruthlessly shot her in the back of her head. Thereafter, he started firing at the first responders, the bodycam footage revealed.
Just before the shooting started, the footage captures a deputy calling out to him, “Stop reaching for your waistband.” During their heated and high-risk exchange, the 19-year-old boy reportedly shot deputy Shane McCough, 26, in the leg.
According to the bodycam footage, McCough winced in pain and called out for help, “I'm hit."
His fellow responding deputies quickly turned to save his life and rushed him to a local hospital. Meanwhile, Themelis was also hit during the crossfire with four other officers, which left him badly wounded.
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After that, he dragged himself back to the house and barricaded the entry. Once the SWAT team stormed inside, they not only found the boy dead, but also his deceased father, both afflicted by gunshot wounds, the sheriff said.
What happened to the wounded police deputy?
The two-year vet received surgery on Sunday morning. The bullet was retrieved from his leg, and he is now in stable condition.
Chronister said that this wasn't the first time that the young shooter has faced off against law enforcement. Following his violent history, all his guns had been confiscated.
The sheriff branded him a “monster" as he mulled over how he could have had “access to any type of firearm to be able to inflict this type of violence.”