The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in Florida reported that A young man with apparent mental health issues was killed in a shooting Saturday night after killing his parents and wounding an officer.
Officers responded to a home in Tampa after receiving reports of a shooting shortly after 11 p.m. on Saturday, June 15, according to authorities.
DEVELOPING: On scene of a barricaded subject, one deputy has been shot and is receiving medical care at a nearby trauma center. SWAT, Crisis Negotiations and Explosive Ordinance Teams are on scene. Please avoid the area of Ehrlich Road and Farmington Boulevard. pic.twitter.com/vMtugQWLkU
— Chad Chronister (@ChadChronister) June 16, 2024
Deputies said the caller, later identified as Rebecca Ann Themelis, 48, said her husband, Christos Byron Themelis, 51, had been shot.
While the woman was on the phone with the dispatch center, officers said several more shots were fired.
When officers arrived at the scene they found the suspect, Christos Alexander Themelis Jr., 19, and Rebecca Themelis outside the home. After seeing the agents, The young man shot his mother in the back of the head and then began shooting at the officialswounding an agent in the leg.
“The monster we encountered tonight is responsible for not only injuring our deputy but also killing his own mother and father,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement to reporters.
“Our officers responded to a chaotic scene and immediately put themselves in harm’s way to protect our community. Without our officer’s quick and skillful response, an entire neighborhood would have been in danger,” he added.
The young man barricaded himself inside the house and later died from the injuries he received after the confrontation with the agents.according to authorities.
UPDATE: Footage from Deputy McGough’s body worn camera showing the moment he was shot during last night’s incident where a suspect killed both his mother and father. The suspect ultimately died on scene as a result of injuries he sustained during the shootout. pic.twitter.com/SWlfPdrmSg
— Chad Chronister (@ChadChronister) June 16, 2024
Chronister reported that the injured officer was in stable condition.
“Please keep him and all the officers involved in the shooting overnight in your thoughts and prayers,” Chronister said in a post on X.
This Monday, the officer identified as Shane McGough, was released from the hospital. “Today is a day of relief and gratitude as we send Deputy Shane McGough home. His courage and resistance in the face of such a tragic event exemplify the dedication and bravery of all our deputies,” the sheriff said in a small event held at the doors of the medical center.
Deputy McGough is in good spirits and with his family. Surgeons are expected to remove the bullet from his leg later this morning and repair the damage it caused. Please keep him and all of the deputies involved with the shooting overnight in your thoughts and prayers. pic.twitter.com/N41wzKdTBi
— Chad Chronister (@ChadChronister) June 16, 2024
The investigation into the fatal shooting is ongoing.
According to Chronister, officers were called to the home 10 times before the fatal shooting. Most of those calls were related to mental health services and violence against their parents.
The officer added that there was also an active risk protection order against the 19-year-old which led officers to confiscate his weapons. Investigators are working to discover how he obtained the gun used to kill his parents, since he was deemed “mentally unfit.”
“We don’t know exactly, and we may never know why he became so violent. But we do know that when inflicting harm on another human being, no matter what the reason, it is never right. Period,” Chronister said.
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