Crime
4 Dead, 11 Injured After Police Chase Ends in Fiery Crash Into Pedestrians in Ybor City
TAMPA, FL (November 8, 2025) — The Tampa Police Department (TPD), in coordination with the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), is investigating a devastating crash that left four people dead and multiple others injured in the 1500 block of East 7th Avenue in Ybor City early Saturday morning.
“What happened this morning was a senseless tragedy. Our hearts are with the loved ones of the victims and all those who were impacted,” said Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw. “Reckless driving put innocent lives in danger. The Tampa Police Department and the Florida Highway Patrol are committed to seeking justice for the victims and their families.”
According to investigators, the incident began around 12:40 a.m. when TPD Air Service observed a vehicle traveling at a dangerously high rate of speed and driving recklessly on Interstate 275.
The vehicle, which had previously been reported for street racing on Hillsborough Avenue near 22nd Street, exited the interstate at Doyle Carlton Drive while continuing to drive erratically.
At approximately 12:45 a.m., both TPD and FHP units located the suspect vehicle in the area of Palm Avenue and Nebraska Avenue.
Troopers initiated a pursuit and attempted a PIT maneuver, which was unsuccessful.
The driver continued to flee eastbound on 7th Avenue at a high rate of speed, prompting FHP to disengage the pursuit for safety reasons.
Moments later, the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a business in the 1500 block of East 7th Avenue, striking more than a dozen pedestrians who were gathered outside.
Tragically, three victims were pronounced dead at the scene, while a fourth victim succumbed to injuries at a local hospital.
A fifth victim remains in critical condition, and eight additional victims are receiving treatment at area hospitals for non-life-threatening injuries.
Two other individuals sustained minor injuries but declined medical transport.
All 15 victims have been identified as adults.
The driver, identified as 22-year-old Silas Sampson (B/M, DOB: 05/01/03), was detained on scene and is currently in police custody.
Charges are pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation.
The Florida Highway Patrol is serving as the lead agency in the traffic crash investigation, with the assistance of Tampa Police Department investigators.
Authorities urge anyone who may have witnessed the crash or has relevant video footage to contact the Tampa Police Department or FHP as the investigation continues.
Further updates will be released as additional information becomes available.
Crime
Mustapha Kharbouch Now-Deleted 2024 Manifesto Published in Institute for Palestine Studies Recovered
Brown University has removed multiple online references to student activist Mustapha Kharbouch in the days following a deadly campus shooting, a move that has drawn public attention amid heightened online speculation—despite law enforcement officials confirming that no suspects or persons of interest have been identified in the investigation.
Archived versions of Brown University webpages show that Kharbouch, a first-year student at the time, was previously listed in several university-affiliated roles, including as a student assistant and Cultural Programming Coordinator connected to the Global Brown Center.
His academic interests were described as focusing on International and Public Affairs and Anthropology, with involvement in Middle East–focused academic, cultural, and student programming.
Those pages are no longer accessible, and Kharbouch’s social media accounts have also been deactivated.
A verified buyer from the United States with the name “Mustapha K.” reviewed a 9MM muzzle brake through the Wing Tactical website on December 29th, 2024 — the same caliber used in the Brown shooting.
There are approximately a few hundred people in the entire United States with that first name + last initial combination.
University officials have not issued a public explanation for the removal of the online profiles.
The changes occurred as online speculation intensified in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, with social media users circulating screenshots of archived university pages and past writings associated with Kharbouch.
Among the materials resurfaced by online users was a 2024 essay authored by Kharbouch and published by the Institute for Palestine Studies as part of a special student essay series titled Genocide in Gaza: Student Essays — Brown University Encampment 2024.
The essay, titled “I Hear the Voice of My Ancestors Calling: From the Camps to the Campus,” was published on August 13, 2024, months before the shooting. The piece is a first-person reflective essay examining Palestinian identity, intergenerational memory, student activism, and questions of hope amid displacement, war, and protest.
The article includes poetic excerpts adapted from “Ancestors Song,” a chant popularized during student-led Palestine solidarity actions at Brown University, and documents Kharbouch’s participation in campus organizing efforts, including sit-ins, hunger strikes, rallies, and the Brown Gaza Solidarity Encampment.
The essay situates these experiences within a broader discussion of decolonial thought, feminist theory, and Palestinian history, including reflections on the 1948 Nakba and the author’s family history as a third-generation stateless Palestinian refugee raised in Lebanon.
The content of the essay is ideological, autobiographical, and academic in nature.
There is no reference to violence on campus, nor any indication of intent or planning related to criminal activity.
The Institute for Palestine Studies has not issued any statement suggesting the piece is under review or connected to the shooting.
Despite widespread online conjecture, law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and Providence Police, have not named Mustapha Kharbouch as a suspect or person of interest, and have publicly stated that there is no evidence linking him to the shooting.
Investigators have emphasized that the case remains active and that conclusions are being guided strictly by verified evidence.
Authorities have cautioned against drawing inferences from online speculation, warning that unsubstantiated claims can compromise investigations and cause undue harm to individuals not implicated by facts.
Media analysts and campus observers have suggested that Brown University’s decision to remove online references may have been taken as a protective or precautionary measure, particularly as misinformation and harassment proliferated across social media platforms following the attack.
Similar actions have been taken by institutions in other high-profile incidents to limit doxxing, targeted harassment, or the misinterpretation of publicly available biographical information during periods of heightened tension.
Brown University has not confirmed whether the removals were temporary, administrative, or safety-related in nature.
Authorities continue to urge the public to rely on confirmed information released by law enforcement and to avoid amplifying unverified narratives.
As of the most recent update, no arrests have been announced, no individuals have been publicly identified as suspects, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with credible information related to the shooting has been asked to contact investigators directly.