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Authorities have charged a man for the crash.
Authorities say a speeding driver trying to escape police early Saturday morning hit several people on the sidewalk before crashing into the club Bradley's on 7th.
Four people are dead and more than ten are injured after a driver sped onto a sidewalk in Tampa before crashing into an LGBTQ+ nightclub's entrance.
The club, Bradley's on 7th, is a popular venue in Tampa's Ybor City, which sees hundreds of club goers each weekend. Authorities do not think the club was targeted.
The 22-year-old suspect, Silas Kenneth Sampson, was arrested on charges including aggravated fleeing to elude police and vehicular homicide, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Authorities said that police spotted two cars racing in the Tampa area. The two cars separated, with one going into downtown Tampa. As highway patrol officers attempted to stop the car, the driver drove off. The officers attempted to use their cars to slow the driver, but were unsuccessful. Moments later, the car hit more than 12 people.
Police said in a press release that three people died at the scene of the crash and one died later at a local hospital. Others were treated for injuries. All those killed were adults.
“They were out in Ybor, having a good time, expecting to go home safely,” Tampa police Chief Lee Bercaw said Saturday, the Times reports. “And a careless, reckless driver takes everybody’s lives in his hands.”
One person told the Times the police escalated the situation, and a retired police officer and pursuit expert questioned the techniques used to try to slow the car down.
The owner of Bradley's on 7th, Bradley Nelson, released a statement Saturday, calling what happened a "horrific event."
"This event has been very traumatic for my entire staff, and myself," he said in the statement. "Our thoughts and prayers go to the families of those who were killed, and to all the injured. Bradley's on 7th is known for being a very tight-knit family of employees and customers...We ask you to remember all those killed and injured in your prayers, as we do the same."
Nelson also commended the staff working during the crash. "The courage and dedication that they exhibited last night and today, is nothing but exemplary," he said.
On Saturday night, over 100 people gathered for a vigil organized by Pride of Tampa in honor of those who were killed and injured.
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