Woman, child dead in Florida apartment; woman’s boyfriend faces charges, reports say

A woman and child were found dead in a Tampa apartment complex Sunday night, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the apartments at 4302 Mariners Cove Court at 6:47 p.m. Sunday. When they arrived, deputies found a 34-year-old woman and 10-year-old boy dead. The names of the victims have not been released.

In a news conference, Sheriff Chad Chronister told reporters they got a “frantic” 911 call from a man who said he was involved in an altercation at the apartment.

“As a result of this domestic dispute we have a 34-year-old female and a 10-year-old child who have succumbed to their injuries and died here at the scene,” Chronister said.

Tyrone T. Johnson, 42, was there when deputies pulled in. Johnson faces charges of murder, aggravated child abuse and shooting at, within, or into a building.

According to Spectrum Bay News 9, the child was the woman’s son and she was Johnson’s girlfriend. Deputies said Johnson told them the argument started when he changed the channel to watch football, Bay News 9 reported.

Johnson went on to tell investigators he then went into the bedroom to pack his things and call his father for a ride in the morning, ABC Action News reported, citing an arrest affidavit.

He also told deputies he has trouble walking because of an injury from his time in the military and the woman followed him into the bedroom, “tussling” at his back and pushed him, FOX 13 reported, citing the affidavit.

Johnson told investigators he was on the floor of the bedroom when the child accused him of hitting his mother; then Johnson grabbed a gun, which he fired at the woman and the boy, according to Bay News 9.

The woman was holding a PlayStation in her hands, according to ABC Action News.

However, investigators noted that evidence from the scene also showed gunfire and blood in the child’s room, according to FOX 13.

Deputies were called twice to the apartment for domestic violence-related incidents over the last year, but those incidents did not involve the person in custody, Chronister said. He added there were no Department of Children and Families reports involving the man or woman in Sunday’s incident.

Chronister said early information led investigators to believe the woman, child and person in custody lived in the apartment together.

This story was originally published October 22, 2018 at 8:48 AM.