UPDATE: December 6, 2019, 7:00 p.m.:
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office thoroughly searched a Brandon apartment complex for more than five hours on Friday afternoon after a vehicle linked to a nearby robbery and shooting was seen fleeing into the complex.
Deputies set up a perimeter inside the Brideport Apartments at 3385 Creekridge Road and deployed the SWAT team, Bomb Squad, Aviation Unit and K-9 Unit to search the property with a focus on eight apartments inside a building where the suspect's get-away car was found parked in front. Residents inside the units were cleared out during the search.
The suspect was not located inside the units. Depiuties believe he likely used another vehicle to flee from the apartment complex prior to the search.
Depities are working to determine if the suspect, who is believed to be armed and dangerous, is the same suspect linked to multiple bank robberies throughout the Tampa Bay area.
The two victims shot during the robbery outside a GTE Financial in Brandon both suffered non-life threatening injuries. The Brinks truck driver was shot once in his ballistic vest and once in the lower body. A Good Samaritan who attempted to stop the suspect from robbing the Brinks truck driver was shot once in the lower body.
HCSO will maintain an active presence at the apartment compex throughout the night. Deputies are gathering surveillance video from the scene. There appears to be no threat to the residents living in the area.
Updated pictures from the armed robbery and shooting are bieng released in hopes that someone will recognize the suspect and share tips that could lead to an arrest. Anyone who recognizes the suspect is asked to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at 813-247-8200. To be eligible for a cash reward, call Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay at at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477).
UPDAT: December 6, 2019, 3:00 p.m.:
At 11:45 a.m. Friday, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call about a shooting at the GTE Financial located at 101 E. Bloomingdale Ave. in Brandon.
Once on scene, deputies found two people had been shot. They both were transported to Tampa General Hospital with what initially appears to be serious, but non-life threatening injuries.
At this time, HCSO believes a Brinks driver was making a delivery to the ATM at the front entrance of the bank. An armed suspect approached the driver and tried to rob him. Both the driver and the suspect got into a physical altercation, and at some point, the Brinksdriver was shot. At this time, a man waiting for his wife to leave the bank, stepped in to try and assist the driver. This man also got into a physical altercation with the suspect, and was also shot.
Deputies are searching for a black male suspect, about 6'1"-6'2" tall, approximately 185 pounds with black dreadlocks.
The suspect does match the description of a man involved in bank robberies in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
HCSO is tracking down a number of leads and working with the FBI, GTE Financial and Brinks.
Anyone with information is ask to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at (813) 247-8200.
UPDATE: December 6, 2019, 12:55 p.m.
Sheriff Chad Chronister will update the media around 2 p.m. at the scene.
ORIGINAL RELEASE: December 6, 2019
HCSO is investigating a shooting that occurred on the property of 101 E Bloomingdale Avenue in Brandon. At this time, there are two individuals who were transported to a local hospital with injuries. Their conditions are unknown. PIO Amanda Granit is in route to the scene.
