Tampa teenager kills parents, shoots cop, dies in shootout
A Florida teenager fatally shot his mother and father and wounded a police officer before cops killed him in a firefight, according to authorities.
Christos Themelis Jr., 19, killed his father in their Tampa home on Saturday night, then killed his mother outside the home and opened fire on responding officers, wounding Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Deputy Shane McGough.
“To see this situation unfold is truly scary,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said. “There is no doubt that the swift response of our deputies mitigated the threat for this community.”
McGough, 26, was shot in the leg and underwent surgery, authorities said. He is expected to make a full recovery in about three months.
Themelis’ mother, Rebecca Ann Themelis, called 911 around 11 p.m. on Saturday, telling dispatchers that her son had just shot his father, 51-year-old Christos Themelis Sr.
During the call, dispatchers heard more gunfire in the background, and cops responded quickly to the scene.
McGough was one of the first officers to arrive at the home, and he saw Themelis holding Rebecca, 48, at gunpoint in the front yard. Officers tried for several minutes to convince Themelis to let his mother go, but he refused and eventually shot her dead before opening fire on the cops, striking McGough in the leg.
Multiple other officers returned fire and hit Themelis, according to police. Though he managed to crawl back inside the home, starting a standoff, police eventually found him dead inside the residence.
Police had previously responded to the home several times for incidents in which Themelis allegedly attacked his parents, and authorities seized all firearms in the home based on a court order, according to Sheriff Chronister. He said it’s unclear how Themelis obtained another gun.
