TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa man who was shot by a stranger in 2018 over a political Facebook post has been identified as the victim of another shooting, this time deadly.
Police say Alex Stephens, 47, was shot and killed by Roy Dean, 42, on Nov. 26.
Officers were called to the 4000 block of W. Ohio Avenue Interbay at 12:28 a.m. and found Stephens dead inside the home.
According to police, Dean and Stephens were involved in a fight before the shooting. Arrest records say Stephens "sucker punched" Dean in the face.
Dean left the home, but after 10 minutes police say he returned because he was upset over the fight.
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They say Dean went into the backyard, armed with a handgun, and shot twice through an open window. One shot hit Stephens in his chest, according to an arrest report.
Dean then ran away from the home, police say.
Detectives went to the Pasco County Jail on Dec. 5, where Dean is currently being held on unrelated charges. They say Dean confessed to killing Stephens.
He is now facing charges for first-degree murder and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Stephens was the victim of another shooting in 2018. In that incident, Stephens was shot by Brian Sebring after the two men got into a fight on Facebook about politics.
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At the time, Sebring told us he drove to Stephens' home armed with his AR-15 Carbine and a Glock semi-automatic pistol.
He said he honked his horn for Stephens to come out. According to arrest reports, when Stephens came out he charged toward Sebring.
"I took two steps back, pulled my gun. Shot him in the hip and when he ran, I shot him in the butt," Sebring said at the time.
