Toddler found in car after fatally shot driver crashes in parking lot, FL cops say

A driver who crashed into a parked car in the middle of the afternoon had been fatally shot, and a toddler apparently witnessed the violence, according to investigators in Florida.

The crash happened just after 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7, at the Robco Transmission & Auto shop in St. Petersburg.

“When rescue arrived, it was determined that the driver, 21-year-old Tyrone Howard, suffered a gunshot wound. Howard was transported to Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital where he died of his injuries,” St. Petersburg police said in a news release.

“A child, an 18-month-old girl, who was also in the car, was not injured, but was taken to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital to be checked out.”

Investigators are working to determine how and when Howard was shot and have not released details of a suspect.

Howard’s relationship to the child was not revealed by police, but WTSP reports he is the girl’s father.

The Robco Transmission & Auto shop was closed at the time of the crash.

St. Petersburg is about a 25-mile drive southwest from Tampa.

This story was originally published September 9, 2025 at 7:46 AM with the headline "Toddler found in car after fatally shot driver crashes in parking lot, FL cops say."