TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – They don’t have fancy names or special titles. Their group is made up of both young and old. Some are students, some have careers.
They come from different walks of life and they’re not looking to be heroes.
They just want to take their streets back – the streets of Tampa, the place they call home.
They are simply citizens and they say their mission is simple.
They want Seminole Heights to feel safe again, free of a torturous reign by a cold blooded killer.
Eight men walked side by side Thursday night, street by street, step by step.
They walked the same steps as Benjamin Mitchell, Monica Hoffa, Anthony Naiboa and Ronald Felton – four innocent lives taken in an instant by a murderer.
As the men traveled this powerful journey, block by block, they spoke amongst themselves. They felt both pride in their city and at the same time, profound sadness as they passed four memorials in a seven block area.
They were keenly aware that the killer still among us on these city streets. For that reason, they asked that their names and identities not be revealed. But they wanted to share their stories with News Channel 8 and their passion for this community.
“This is our city,” said one Florida man. “We will not let someone come and take over Tampa.”
It was a moment that symbolized so much more than a walk at dusk.
With a Florida manhunt happening around them, they knew this quiet path, just before dark, was a time for them to embrace bravery and encourage support for those who have lost loved ones. They greeted neighbors and talked with strangers like old friends.
At one point, they crossed paths with the aunt of Benjamin Mitchell, the very first victim in this savage series of crimes, killed Oct. 9.
As police cars passed them while patrolling the neighborhood, the men gave kudos to the Tampa Police Department and all law enforcement officers working 24-7 to catch the killer.
“I know the mayor and the police chief are tired, I know they’re all tired. They’re doing a great job trying to find this guy. It’s just a matter of days or hours. I believe he’s going to give up or slip up.”
Then, a moment of pause.
One Florida man added, “I agree with the mayor. How ever we get him, we get him.”
This same group wants to start a tradition with this walk – canvassing their neighborhood in crisis.
The group is planning to meet at the corner of Nebraska and Caracas, in front of the church where Ronald Felton was on his way to volunteer early Tuesday morning when he was gunned down.
The group plans to meet at 8 a.m. Saturday morning and will walk the neighborhood streets throughout the day. They will close with a walk to all four memorials at dusk.
“There is still life here,” the organizer told us. “There is still life out here.”
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