TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Thomas Powers woke up this morning without his brother, 61-year-old Steven Powers.
“He was a hard worker and a loving, caring man,” Thomas Powers said in an exclusive interview with News Channel 8. “I just can’t understand why this happened.”
Powers’s family is trying to wrap their heads around what happened.
“I seen the shooting on Facebook two hours prior and didn’t know anything about it,” Steven’s nephew, Larry Davis, said. “Then my mom told me it was our Uncle Steve and that he had passed away and he was shot.”
Sheriff Chad Chronister described it as a “senseless loss of life.”
He said at about 2:15 p.m. Sunday, Steven Powers and his grandson were driving on U.S. Highway 301 when 26-year-old Kentavious Gholston cut them off.
Deputies said Steven Powers honked at him, so Gholston started brake checking him.
Chronister said at some point, Gholston thought Steven Powers hit his car, so he parked.
That’s when deputies said Steven Powers got out of his van and went to throw a punch, but was pushed down by Gholston.
At that point, Chronister said Steven Powers fell to the ground. Then the unthinkable happened.
“Our homicide suspect fires three rounds into his back,” Chronister said. “He waits for a moment, he sees that he is still alive, so he fires two more rounds striking him a total of four times in the back.”
The sheriff said Steven Powers’s grandson, who just witnessed this horrific event, then got out of the van.
“Our homicide suspect then looks and points the gun at him too,” Chronister said. “He goes like this scared to death,” he continued holding his hands in the air with his palms facing forward.
Chronister said Steven Powers’s grandson didn’t want anything to do with the situation and didn’t want to be shot.
“Our homicide suspect gets back in the car, flees through traffic running a red light,” Chronister said.
He said Gholston turned himself in and is now facing the following charges:
- Second-degree murder with a firearm
- Aggravated assault with a firearm
- Tampering with physical evidence
Davis was asked what he would say to Gholston.
“Why?” Davis said. “Something so stupid and simple. You took somebody’s life and you ruined yours. It shouldn’t have happened.”
