Tampa Police Arrest Suspect in Seminole Heights Serial Killings
After authorities were tipped off to a man in a McDonald’s with a gun.

WPTV News/YouTube
Police in Tampa have arrested a suspect in a series of shootings that began in early October and triggered fears of a serial killer. Authorities were tipped off to the man, identified at a Tuesday night press conference as 24-year-old Howell E. Donaldson III, after he was spotted at a McDonald’s with a gun. He faces four charges of first-degree murder and police are preparing documents to formally charge him, Police Chief Brian Dugan told reporters. Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn hailed the arrest as proof that “goodness has won.” “Tonight, we’re bringing someone to justice who doesn’t deserve the right to walk amongst us,” he said. Police have not yet released details on a motive in the four killings in the Seminole Heights neighborhood. The victims include Benjamin Mitchell, a 22-year-old gunned down while waiting for a bus; Anthony Naiboa, a 20-year-old shot while walking; Monica Hoffa, a 32-year-old woman found dead in a vacant lot; and 60-year-old Ronald Felton, whose body was found near a memorial honoring the first three victims.
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