Christos Alexander Themelis Jr., 19, of Tampa, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, cops said.
A 19-year-old took his own life while in a shootout with police in Florida Saturday after killing his parents and wounding a deputy, the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office said.
Christos Alexander Themelis Jr., 19, of Tampa, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, cops said.
The Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office (HCSO) said that Themelis killed his father, Christos Byron Themelis, 51, and his mother, Rebecca Ann Themelis, 48. Both were from Tampa, and their son lived with them, cops said.
On Saturday just after 11 p.m., emergency responders received a call from a woman who said her husband had just been shot, cops said. While on the phone with the HCSO dispatch center, several more shots were fired, officials said. Upon arrival, deputies encountered the woman and a young man outside of the residence.
The young man, identified by police as Themelis Jr., shot and killed his mother, and then turned toward the deputies and opened fire, shooting Deputy Shane McGough in the leg, cops said. Five deputies returned fire and Themelis, Jr., retreat into his home.
The sheriff's office's SWAT team, Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, and Crisis Negotiation team were called in to assist at the scene, and eventually the specialty units entered the home, where they found Themelis, Jr. dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said.
"The monster we encountered this evening is responsible for not only injuring our deputy but also killing his own mother and father," Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. "Our deputies responded to a chaotic scene and immediately put themselves in harm's way to protect our community. Without our deputy's quick and skillful response, an entire neighborhood would have been in danger.
"To see this situation unfold is truly scary," Chronister said. "There is no doubt that the swift response of our deputies mitigated the threat for this community. Please keep Deputy McGough and his family in your prayers as he recovers from surgery."
McGough underwent surgery Sunday to remove the bullet from his leg. During that procedure, a rod was inserted and the surgeons deemed the procedure successful, the HCSO said.
