TAMPA, Fla. — Things will never be the same for two families connected by the deadly Ybor City shooting. The mark the tragedy made on them will last a lifetime.
On Oct. 31, people were out in Ybor celebrating Halloween in costumes just like they were early Sunday morning. When shots rang out just before 3 a.m. on Oct. 29, both Harrison Boonstoppel and Kila Ryker got caught in the crossfire.
"This is not a part of life, this is unfair. I'm a pretty angry mom," said Brucie Boonstoppel, Harrison's mother.
Days have passed, but the emotions are still raw. On Tuesday afternoon, Boonstoppel's parents and twin sister reflected on a moment that was out of their control.
"He definitely didn't deserve this. That's the last thing he deserved. He of all people," said Karel Boonstoppel, Harrison's father.
The 20-year-old was out with two close friends when shots were fired into the crowd overnight Sunday.
"They weren't even involved in going to the clubs or whatever. They literally were just observing and went to go people watch and then it all happened so fast. They were just supposed to drive by, but the road was closed, so they stopped for a second," said Ava Boonstoppel, Harrison's twin sister.
Tampa Police say 22-year-old Tyrell Phillips fired his gun after he said he waved to a former classmate and got into an altercation with the people who were with her. Detectives say he turned himself in at the scene. He's now behind bars, charged with second-degree murder.
"That was enough for anybody to get into a fight and to pull out a gun and shoot? It was senseless," Karel said.
The family says Harrison and his friends took off running to the sidewalk when they heard the shots being fired. They all tried to take cover.
"They hit the ground. When they got up, he didn't. They had to leave him," Brucie said.
Steps away, 20-year-old Kila Ryker lay on the ground. She was out celebrating Halloween with her friend, Emily Perez, and had just left the club. Both were shot feet away from each other and helped by strangers who were walking by.
"I was losing so much blood so quick," Ryker said. "I remember grabbing onto the wall and falling down and like I just remember some stranger, trying to get me to stay awake. He was asking me where I'm from and what my favorite color is."
Kila spoke to us via Zoom from her hospital bed at Tampa General Hospital with her mom by her side. She's already gone through one surgery and will need another to continue recovering from her gunshot wounds.
"The doctors, they keep saying how lucky I am because I was almost a third victim. They said in not even a minute or two I would have been gone," Ryker said.
A night to celebrate Halloween quickly turned tragic for the two friends who will now need to be taught to walk again. Perez has been discharged; Ryker will be in the hospital for months and is fundraising to help pay her hospital bills.
"I almost almost lost my life. My friend almost lost her life. Even the ones who did pass, I'm just so sorry that they did," Ryker said.
The lives of 14-year-old Elijah Wilson and Harrison Boonstoppel were senselessly taken that night.
"There's tragedy all over, but this is not an acceptable tragedy to me," Brucie said after highlighting her past efforts to fight against gun violence.
Now those who loved the incredible young man, who dreamed of being a race car driver and flipping houses, will never see him again. But his spirit lives on through them and the moments they all shared together.
"He had a friend in every corner and it really was just because he was kind. They wanted to be friends with the nice kid. I miss him and I feel like a part of me is missing," Ava said.
Now the two families are joined by grief and trauma and they want those responsible to be held accountable.
"They hurt a lot of people also. I don't believe that they should be out free. They need to be behind bars for what they did," Ryker said.
So far Phillips is facing charges for this shooting, but the FBI is now helping in the search for other people potentially involved. This online portal is where people can send in tips, including photos and videos. Chief Lee Bercaw says the videos they received immediately after helped them identify the shooter who's behind bars right now.
Detectives say they're looking for at least one to two more, but there could be more people involved.
Tampa police have thanked the public for sending in information about the case and continue to ask people to give them a call at 813-231-6130 or use the tip page.
"We are truly grateful for the support of our community and all the tips they have provided investigators so far," Bercaw said in a statement. "We have partnered with the FBI to launch this website to make submitting additional tips easier. We encourage anyone who may have information to go to fbi.gov/tampashooting and submit any photos or videos that could aid in the investigation.
"Even if you are not sure if the tip will be helpful, it may be just the evidence our detectives need."