2024-01-04 16:29:53
An autopsy report determined a homicide occurred within the first few hours of New Year’s Day, marking the incident as Tallahassee’s first murder of 2024.
Tallahassee Police investigators initially classified the case as a shooting at 3 a.m. Monday, but almost five hours later, the TPD’s Violent Crimes Unit reversed course and announced that it had “determined this is possibly an accidental death caused by fireworks.”
The initial report was a fatal shooting around 2:15 a.m. in the 600 block of Osceola Street.
“When officers arrived, they discovered an adult male victim in the roadway suffering from injuries sustained in the shooting and immediately began rendering aid,” an online incident alert from TPD stated. “Sadly, the victim succumbed to his injuries on scene.”
Although the case was concluded to be a homicide, the updated incident alert about the autopsy did not specify the manner of death and whether the man was shot and killed by a gun or whether fireworks played a role in the murder. No arrests have been made and the investigation is still open and active as of Thursday morning.
When asked if the man died by a shooting or fireworks, a TPD spokesperson said “at this time we are not able to confirm the cause of death, just that the manner is believed to be a homicide.”
The milestone murder follows in the footsteps of one of Tallahassee’s bloodiest years.
In 2023, 24 people died and at least 72 were injured in 87 serious shootings in the capital city and county. Monday morning’s death was the first grim reminder of a year that produced sobering statistics, many from a summer surge in shootings.
According to a Tallahassee Democrat analysis of gun violencethe summer spike in crime included three separate double homicides, a mass shooting, three murders in a single 24-hour span and five accidental shootings — three of them fatal — in a single month.
Elena Barrera can be reached at ebarrera@tallahassee.com. Follow her on X @elenabarreraaa.
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