PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — New information is beginning to emerge about the investigation into a pair of seemingly-random homicides in St. Pete.
On Thursday, the St. Petersburg Police Department revealed authorities had zeroed in on a person of interest in both cases. Officers said the FBI and Tampa Police Department helped take the individual into custody on unrelated charges, but they did not immediately release the person's name.
Now, the mother of Corlenzo Williams – one of the two shooting victims – is revealing that detectives confirmed to her that 34-year-old Johnny Carnegie is the person of interest. Carnegie is being held on unrelated charges and appeared in court Friday to face those.
Carnegie has not been named a suspect, but a source close to the situation corroborated what family had been told about him being the person of interest. Jail records show he was arrested Wednesday in Hillsborough County, which is consistent with what law enforcement had previously said about the person.
Tampa police said Carnegie was taken into custody on aggravated battery charges stemming from an incident on Feb. 15 at Warehouse Liquor Store & Bar.
Officers said Carnegie parked next to another man's vehicle and shot him causing a minor injury. The man did not know Carnegie nor the motive, according to police.
This week, St. Pete Police Chief Anthony Holloway asked for the public's help in getting surveillance video into the hands of detectives who are still working to piece together exactly how two men wound up dead just days apart.
If you haven't been following the story, it involves the seemingly "unprovoked" shooting deaths of two men who share a last name but are not related and have no known connection.
Authorities say 60-year-old Vernon Williams was killed early April 10 on Melrose Avenue S., and 24-year-old Corlenzo Williams died of a gunshot wound just after 1 a.m. April 12 on 17th Avenue South.
And while there are "a lot of similarities" between the homicides, police have not said with certainty whether they believe one person was behind both shootings. However, they haven't ruled out the lone gunman theory.
In each homicide, police say they believe a driver may have pulled up and begun a conversation with each man before opening fire.
“What we want to tell the public is that if someone comes up to you that period of time and you don’t know them, please, please do not go up to that car. Walk away from that car," Holloway said this week.
Anyone who lives in the area of Melrose Avenue South and 17th Avenue South is asked to contact police with any surveillance video or doorbell video they may have. Police are hoping the video will help them establish a timeline and possibly determine the shooter's identity with certainty.
Detectives and police officers have stepped up their presence in the area, and they are getting help from federal and state partners on the case.
Authorities recently announced a reward of up to $5,000 for tips regarding either of the homicides. To be eligible for a potential cash reward, tipsters should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS.
The St. Pete Police Department says murders are actually trending down so far in 2022. This time in 2021, there had already been 15 killings in the city. This year, including these two shooting deaths, there have only been six apparent murders in the city.
10 Tampa Bay's Megan Myers and Miguel Octavio contributed to this report.