Man Fatally Shot At Local Mosque Following Ramadan Event

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is investigating a fatal shooting that occurred early Monday morning following a Ramadan gathering outside a Hillsborough County mosque.

According to the sheriff's office, just before midnight on Sunday, two men got into an argument in the parking lot outside the Islamic Society of Tampa Bay, 7326 E. Sligh Ave., near Temple Terrace following a Ramadan gathering and prayer service attended by several hundred people. During the argument, one of the men pulled out a gun and shot the other man at least two times.

An off-duty deputy, who had been working a security detail for the event, heard the gunshot and rushed to the scene, where he found one man holding a gun and the other on the ground with gunshot wounds.

Paramedics took the shooting victim to Tampa General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The suspected shooter was detained at the scene and has been cooperating with deputies.

At the time of the shooting, the sheriff's office said the parking lot was filled with people preparing to get into their vehicles to leave, but no one else was injured.

The sheriff's office said the two men were attending prayer services at the mosque and knew one another.

The shooting suspect is cooperating with detectives. No charges have been filed at this time.