Photo: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
A Florida man is facing several charges, including first-degree murder, in a triple shooting after he allegedly expressed his intentions to date his daughter, WKMG reports.
On January 17, Tampa police officers responded to reports of a shooting at a house on 23rd Street, where two female victims ran out of the home with gunshot wounds. Officials revealed one of the women is the mother of the suspected shooter, identified as 42-year-old Michael Banks, and the other is his daughter, according to a police report obtained by reporters.
After the victims told police Banks was still inside the home, they set up a perimeter around the residence. Authorities said Banks shot two rounds at officers, who returned gunfire. Nobody was shot during the exchange, and Banks reportedly surrendered himself to police.
Investigators said they found another woman, who's the mother's friend, dead inside the house with a gunshot wound to her head. Officials haven't revealed her identity as of Tuesday (January 30).
Detectives also discovered a letter Banks allegedly wrote to his daughter, insisting she "enter into a relationship with him and not date anyone else,” the police report states. Banks' mother and her friend talked about forcing him out of the house over this letter, and the 42-year-old father overheard the conversation, telling officers he felt "betrayed and upset."
Banks then took his revolver and started shooting at the pair before opening fire on his daughter while she was in the shower, the suspect reportedly told authorities.
He was held without bond on several charges, including first-degree murder, attempted murder of an officer, firearm possession, and two counts of attempted first-degree murder with great bodily harm.