Hillsborough County deputies are investigating an armed carjacking that took place on Tuesday morning in North Tampa.
Around 1:41 a.m., HCSO received a Shot Spotter report in the area of Fletcher Avenue and Nebraska Avenue. Shot Spotter is the sheriff departments gunshot notification system. Microphones are placed in certain areas that notify HCSO when it picks up gunshot sounds. The system then triangulates the location of the shots.
Deputies responded to that location and were not able to locate anyone. However, they did find four .380 shell casings in The Todd Couples Superstore parking lot.
The victim ended up calling from Amscot - The Money Superstore located on Fletcher Avenue and N. 15th Street. Deputies say that he had attempted to use the phone at the RaceTrac at Fletcher Avenue and Coastal Key Road but the clerk refused and ended up calling the sheriffs office reporting a suspicious person.
The victim told officials that he was in The Todd parking lot when a red pickup truck pulled in occupied by a male and female. The heavyset male was armed with a shotgun and tried to take the victims black Dodge Dart.
The victim, who had a concealed weapon and permit, at some point fired at the suspects.
The male, as well as a female, fled the scene in both vehicles involved. Both were last seen heading eastbound on Fletcher Avenue from Nebraska Avenue.
Deputies say that it does not appear anyone was hit. The suspects did not fire at the victim.
Deputies will be back at The Todd to collect video footage of the parking lot in the morning. No further information is available at this time.
Mary Stringini is a digital reporter for ABC Action News. Follow her on Twitter @MaryWFTS.
