A 71-year-old Tampa woman is accused of fatally shooting her roommate after he “did not clean up after himself.” According to reports, Patrician Whitehead has been charged with one count of first-degree premeditated felony murder.
Authorities responded to a report of a shooting at a residence on E. 26th Avenue just before 9:30 a.m. on June 13. Upon arriving on the scene, police discovered a male who had suffered trauma to the upper body, later pronounced dead at the hospital.
A June 14th press release reads, “On June 13, 2024, at approximately 9:28 a.m., Tampa Police responded to a residence located on the 1000 block of E 26th Ave in reference to a shooting that had just occurred. Upon their arrival, officers located an adult black male with upper body trauma. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.”
Police were able to deduce that Whitehead’s actions were motivated by frustration toward the individual because he failed to maintain a tidy and orderly living space. “Through their investigation, detectives were able to determine that the suspect, 71-year-old Patricia Whitehead (W/F, 12/22/1952), and the victim shared a residential space. Whitehead had become angry with the victim, claiming he did not clean up after himself,” the statement continued.
Upon the now-deceased man slamming the door while exiting the residence, Whitehead allegedly followed him out with a gun and repeatedly shot him. “On the day of the incident, the victim was leaving the residence, when Whitehead heard the victim slam the door. Whitehead retrieved her firearm from her bedroom, exited the residence, and shot the victim multiple times,” per the report. “Whitehead was taken into custody and transported to Orient Road Jail. She was charged with one felony count of Murder in the First Degree.”
New Channel 8 reported that an individual claiming to be the victim’s wife said he had previously warned people about Whitehead. “Somebody told me, he told the landlord and people in the house, if he dies, she killed him. She’s the one [who] did it,” the woman said. She further described her husband as a good man who leaves behind a family. “He’s a loving, he’s kind, he’s gentle. He don’t hurt no one. He worked, he’s got four kids,” she explained.
Recent headlines suggest that the Tampa area is plagued with homicidal activity. Florida rapper Julio Foolio, whose real name is Charles Jones, was recently shot and killed near the University of South Florida. “The victim in this morning’s shooting is believed to be Charles Jones (DOB: 6-21-1998). Positive identification is pending confirmation from the Medical Examiner’s Office,” according to the Tampa Police Department.
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“Mr. Jones had been in Tampa to celebrate his birthday over the weekend,” the rapper’s lawyer, Jacksonville-based attorney Lewis Fusco, said in a press release. “Law enforcement reports indicate that he initially stayed at an Airbnb but was asked to leave due to exceeding occupancy limits. He subsequently relocated to the Holiday Inn, where he was involved in an incident in the hotel parking lot and reportedly ambushed.