Motorcycle gang members suspected in fatal shooting. It was in broad daylight

“This is something that you usually see in a movie or on TV.”

That’s what Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco said about a fatal shooting that occurred in broad daylight around 4:55 p.m. at the intersection of State Road 54 and Suncoast Parkway in Odessa.

A preliminary investigation conducted by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office suggests that two motorcycle gang members shot a man — also a suspected gang member — in the driver’s seat of his vehicle at the intersection.

A caller reported that two men on motorcycles approached a truck that sat at the stoplight. She heard three shots and saw that the driver of the vehicle was then slumped over.

“We don’t know if the two individuals are gang members, but that’s what it appears to be.”

The suspects covered their license plates and didn’t wear patches, but their motorcycles and bandanas featured “cracker bolts,” which were originally associated with Nazi Germany, the sheriff’s office said. The insignia, characterized by two lightning bolts with flat ends, has since been adopted by neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

Nocco said he believes the victim was specifically targeted, and the sheriff said he doesn’t want a gang war to escalate any further. He said he’s “begging” for tipsters to tell deputies what they know about this “brazen attack.”

“I know you’re afraid. I know you just saw something that was horrendous and you don’t want to get tied up into it, but you have the difference to save somebody else’s life,” he said.

The name of the victim has not been released because next of kin have not yet been notified. However, Nocco said the victim is a “documented motorcycle gang member.”

An increased police presence is being established in the area as the homicide investigation continues, Nocco said. The suspects are considered to be armed and dangerous. Anyone with information regarding the shooting is asked to contact the anonymous tip line at 800-873-8477.

This story was originally published December 21, 2017 at 9:15 PM with the headline "Motorcycle gang members suspected in fatal shooting. It was in broad daylight."