TAMPA, Fla. — Days after an overnight shooting in Ybor City left two people dead and more than a dozen injured, one Tampa city councilmember is calling for local businesses to close earlier than usual.
Councilmember Gwendolyn Henderson says she plans to make a motion during Thursday's regularly scheduled council meeting to close businesses in the historic city to temporarily close at 1 a.m.
Most bars and clubs, along with some businesses in the city, close around 3 a.m.
If approved as is by other council members, Henderson's curfew would last for about six months. This would, according to Henderson, allow the city to "study violence in Ybor and identify potential solutions" during that time. Part of Henderson's district includes Ybor.
Two people were killed — a 14-year-old and a 20-year-old — and 16 others were hurt in the shooting, police said. Of the 16 people hurt, 15 suffered gunshot wounds.
"Senseless acts of gun violence are always difficult," Henderson said in a statement. "When it’s nearby the reality is horrific, so I have spent the past several days talking with Ybor residents, Ybor business owners, law enforcement, and Mayor Castor about what steps we can take to eliminate an environment that promotes violence during the late hours in Ybor City.
"It is true that there is no one-size-fits-all or flawless solution, but I am confident that we will make a difference."
Many Ybor business owners tell 10 Tampa Bay they oppose this proposal because it threatens their livelihoods.
"I mean, this is going to devastate us all," Khalilaa McDuffy, the owner of 7th and Grove, said.
McDuffy points out it won't only impact the businesses, but the employees who live off tips.
"Just taking those two hours away makes a big difference in those people's lives too. These people have families. These people have kids," McDuffy said. "You're talking about doing this around the holiday time. That's scary."
If the goal is to curb violence, bar manager Corey Cane fears this move could backfire.
"It doesn't allow people to slowly leave the bars when they need to. It just guarantees that they're all being pushed out into the streets at the same time," Cane said.
In addition to asking Ybor businesses to close a couple of hours early, Henderson says she will make a motion to have city staff do the following:
- Keep E. 7th Avenue open to traffic even during closing time on Fridays and Saturdays to limit loitering.
- In addition to CRA funding, identify sources of revenue to expand community policing and step up code enforcement to crack down on noise violations, loitering, public drinking, and other infractions.
“These measures are intended to help ensure Ybor City remains a safe and thriving neighborhood no matter what time of day,” Henderson added.
Henderson says she is also asking Hillsborough County Schools' Interim Superintendent Van Ayres to consider sending a message to parents of high schoolers "stressing that Ybor nightlife is not a place for teenagers."
This is due, in part, to a 14-year-old boy being killed during the Halloween weekend shooting.