TAMPA, Fla. — Two teens were hurt during a shooting Wednesday evening near an Amazon building in Hillsborough County, deputies say.
Law enforcement received a report of a shooting around 9:03 p.m. and responded to the intersection of Harney Road and Hillsborough Avenue in Temple Terrace, a spokesperson from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office told 10 Tampa Bay.
When deputies arrived, they found a 19-year-old suffering from upper body trauma, according to a news release. They were rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
"Luckily the kid was able to get transported to an area hospital and get the surgery that he needed but this could have ended with a parent losing their child," Fentress Fountain, a public relations coordinator for HCSO said. "Which, no parent wants to ever even imagine that."
A 17-year-old was found nearby at the Arby's on Hillsborough Avenue. They were taken to the hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Deputies said it appears a large group of people was gathered near the Amazon store when an argument broke out and shots were fired.
"Everyone involved in this incident, they're all known to each other and they're all students between the ages of 17-19 in an area high school," Fentress said.
The reason this shooting began, according to HCSO, is because of a fistfight.
"That this all stemmed from a fight," Fountain said. "The students actually planned to meet at this location. It has nothing to do with Amazon whatsoever, but it just so happened that was their meeting point. And they decided they were going to fight. This was definitely pre-planned... One thing led to another, one student started losing, and that's when the shots were fired and ultimately led us to where we are right now."
Fountain explained the two students involved in the fistfight were not the ones shooting.
"I'm saying this was a group of kids and the two that were fighting actually had people with them," Fountain said. "And when they noticed their person was beginning to lose the fight, that's when shots were fired."
The agency said two suspected shooters left the area in a black Kia Soul with a Florida license plate No. 8493AM.
The two suspected shooters deputies said they are looking for are described as a white man about 6 feet tall, thin build with medium-length black hair and a Black man about 6 feet tall and thin build with black dreadlocks.
There is no threat to the public. The teen shooters responsible are expected to face criminal charges.
"We do know that they will face charges, obviously," Fountain said. "It will be an attempted murder charge because the initial student almost lost his life."
Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at 813-247-8200.