A 36-year-old man visiting Busch Gardens Tampa Bay was injured by celebratory gunfire on Wednesday Night while walking in the park.
Tampa Police say Scott Deel, was walking at Busch Gardens with his wife when he felt a sudden pain to his left shoulder. His wife noticed he was bleeding, so they went to the Busch Gardens first aid center. The park’s security responded and Tampa firefighters transported him to Tampa General Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Busch Gardens Tampa said in a statement: “According to Tampa Police, a guest of the park was struck by a stray bullet fired from outside the park’s property following a 4th of July celebration. The guest was transported to Tampa General Hospital and is in stable condition. We are working closely with the Tampa Police Department on this incident as the safety of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s guests, team members and animals in our care is always our top priority.”
A preliminary report from the hospital according to the Tampa Police have indicated that there appeared to be nothing lodged in his shoulder and that the bullet would have been traveling in a downward trajectory and that it’s unlikely the shot came from within the park as police were dealing with reports of stray bullets hitting a parked vehicle and going through a woman’s roof within several miles of the park.
This isn’t the first time either that a parkgoer at Busch Gardens Tampa has been hit by a stray bullet. In 2015, A 20-year-old woman at Busch Gardens waiting to see New Year’s Eve fireworks was shot in the leg by a stray bullet from outside the park. In that case, she was assisted by the park’s medical services and transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital. A X-ray revealed a bullet in her leg. She was treated and released.
As the time of publishing, Police have yet to make an arrest and say the investigation is ongoing.
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