By Natalia Jaramillo
Orlando Sentinel
TAMPA, Fla. — Christos Alexander Themelis Jr . shot and killed his parents, then injured a deputy responding to the scene near Tampa late Saturday, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
Around 11 p.m. on Saturday the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 9-1-1 call from Themelis Jr.’s mother, Rebecca Ann that her husband, 51-year-old Christos Byron Themelis, had been shot at the 14000 block of Cactus Wren Place, HCSO said.
Upon arrival, five deputies encountered the 19-year-old and his mother outside of their home. Themelis Jr . shot his 48-year-old mother and then fired at deputies, who fired back and wounded him, HCSO said.
Themelis Jr. ran back into his house and barricaded himself, prompting HCSO to call the SWAT and Explosive Ordinance Disposal team to assist, HCSO said.
Once the specialized teams and deputies entered the home, they found the 19-year-old had died as a result of his injuries, HCSO said.
Deputy Shane McGough, 26, was shot but is in stable condition, HCSO said. He underwent surgery to remove the bullet from his leg in a successful surgery on Sunday, HCSO 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 media release early Sunday. “Our deputies responded to a chaotic scene and immediately put themselves in harm’s way to protect our community.
“Without our quick and skillful response, an entire neighborhood would have been in danger.”
Per policy, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting.
The investigation is ongoing.
—
©2024 Orlando Sentinel.
Visit orlandosentinel.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.