Tampa police arrest suspect in serial murders

Tampa, Fla., police on Tuesday arrested and charged a man with four counts of first-degree murder in connection to a series of fatal shootings in the last two months. Police Chief Brian Dugan said at a news conference Wednesday morning the suspect, 24-year-old Howell Emanuel Donaldson, had not yet admitted to the killings but was cooperating with police. A tip by a local McDonald’s employee Tuesday afternoon led to the arrest. Donaldson asked a fellow employee to hold a bag with a loaded semiautomatic gun while he went to a nearby business. The employee notified a manager, who told a police officer in the restaurant. Police believe the gun, which Donaldson admitted to owning, is the one used in all four recent killings. A search of Donaldson’s cell phone also found time and location data corresponding to the first three murders. The shootings started in early October and all took place within a half-mile area in Tampa’s Seminole Heights neighborhood. All four victims, who appeared unconnected, were shot while walking alone at night.