Benjamin Mitchell, Monica Hoffa and Anthony Naiboa
The three above-mentioned people are victims of the so-called Seminole Heights Shooter. Authorities believe that a single assailant is prowling the streets of this Tampa neighborhood, randomly selecting targets to fatally shoot. If this is the case, and it appears to absolutely be so, then they're on the race against time. With three victims dead in less than two weeks, it appears that this killer is (or was) on a spree, and it could be anytime that a fourth victim is selected.
Three victims in 11 days, all shot in varying locations in the same neighborhood, may not necessarily equate to the official label of "spree killing," but it's clear that this serial killer claimed multiple people with close to no cool-down period. This is a troubling detail that shouldn't be ignored. Either this particular killer is going to continue killing in this fashion, or he's going to change things up a bit. There's no doubt that news of these unsolved shootings have made media headlines from one end of the country to the other. This unknown gunman has undoubtedly seen coverage of his crimes. I sense that this person is at least of average intelligence, since serial killers of average intelligence tend to use guns the most in their crimes. So if he knows that police are watching his neighborhood of choice, he may begin choosing victims in other locations.
I want to note that this assailant has claimed the lives of three random people, all who were walking near bus stops. Two of his victims were slain near the very same stop, to be exact. This could indicate that the shooter frequents the neighborhood via the bus system. He could very well live in a nearby neighborhood, if not right in Seminole Heights. He could, for all intents and purposes, live on the other side of the city. The fact that the victims were all near bus stops sticks out, though.
I want to also point out that Monica Hoffa was shot approximately 8 minutes away from where both Benjamin Mitchell and Anthony Naiboa were shot. Could this hold any significance in figuring out who the shooter is? Possibly. Her body was discovered further into the residential neighborhood of Seminole Heights, in a bushy, overgrown area.
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| Monica Hoffa |
Surveillance footage in this case shows an unknown male walking at the presumed time of the shooting of one of the victims. It could be speculated that this man is the shooter, though he hasn't been identified or questioned in this case. If this man is the shooter, the direction in which he was walking could very well be the direction in which he resides. That doesn't offer much insight, due to the fact that the footage is grainy and can only be seen for a certain distance. Nonetheless, it's a direction to look (for authorities) and its proximity to the bus stop where Benjamin Mitchell and Anthony Naiboa were slain is worth examining.
Witnesses have described the man as being "in his early 20s" and was wearing a dark colored jacket when he was spotted running from the scene of Benjamin Mitchell's murder. The footage that has been released doesn't show any identifying features, and to be honest it's hard to tell if the person is a male or a skinny female in loose-fitting clothing. Witnesses say it was a man, though, so that is what we have on which to speculate. What "20-something" man would have reason to randomly shoot strangers in one particular neighborhood?
Seminole Heights is a primarily white neighborhood, with Hispanics and Blacks following in the majority demographic. Keeping this in mind, it's logical to speculate that the shooter could be a young white male from the area, who has internalized anger, stemming from behavioral or mental health issues. This person is of above-average IQ for his age group and location, and could be considered a loner or outsider. He may have done poorly in high school, due to social issues and behavioral problems. This person may also perform poorly with romantic interests, and may not be able to socially interact with members of the opposite sex on a normal level.