Man fatally shot in Temple Terrace apartment complex

TEMPLE TERRACE - Police are investigating a homicide that happened just before 5:00 a.m. Tuesday at the Village Oaks apartment complex in Temple Terrace.

Jobree Platt, 31, was visiting an apartment at 8575 Montravail Circle in Temple Terrace when he got into a confrontation with another male in the hallway of the apartment complex.

"We do not know whether they knew each other. We do not know what this was about. It appears to be an attempted robbery," said Temple Terrace Spokesman Mike Dunn.

The second man, who was masked and wearing all black, took out a gun and shot the victim.

"My cousin's crying on the phone with the ambulance, telling them my cousin's lying on the ground," described Jerrom Brown. "I'm on the ground with my cousin telling him to breathe, please breathe!" 

Brown says the two men had just returned from a nearby casino.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office was using their helicopter to search the area for the suspect.

Platt's roommate, Amanda Stephenson, saw him Monday night at their home about 30 minutes away. Family called her Tuesday morning to tell her Platt wouldn't be coming home.

"You know, it's something you don't want to believe," she said. "He's just always chill, always fun. He always has a smile on his face. His smile was memorable. You remembered his smile."

Platt planned to finish college to become a teacher. He wanted to help kids dream for more than violence, like the kind that took his own life.

"All the good and positive things that he did, and all the lives that he did impact, because he did," she said. "He truly did."

Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the identification and arrest of the suspect(s) in this case. Anyone with any information regarding the identity and whereabouts of the suspects responsible and who wants to be eligible for a cash reward is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS(8477), report anonymously online at www.crimestopperstb.com , text "CSTB plus your tip" to 274637 (CRIMES) or send a mobile tip using our new "Tipsubmit Mobile"application, which is a free download for iPhones, iPads, and Droids. (Text STOP to 274637 to cancel. Text HELP to 274637 for help. Msg&Data Rates May Apply.)"

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