Fight during neighborhood basketball game ends with 1 player dead, Florida cops say

A game of basketball turned deadly at a Florida park when an argument esclated to gunfire among the players, according to investigators.

One man died, and a second was wounded, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

The gunfire erupted around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, during a game at Plantation Park in Greater Carrollwood, about a 10-mile drive north from Tampa, deputies said.

“Deputies arrived and found two adult males suffering from apparent gunshot wounds,” the sheriff’s office said.

“Through the course of the investigation, detectives learned a fight broke out during a basketball game, which led to the shooting.”

Brian Jones, 19, died at a hospital, while the second victim is listed in stable condition, deputies said. His identity has not been released.

Anthony Cabrera Morales, 18, has been arrested in connection with the shootings and charged with murder in the second degree with a firearm and first attempted murder (premeditated with a firearm), officials said.

The basketball court at Plantation Park is part of a 64-acre recreational complex that is watched over by a “Courtesy Patrol,” according to the community’s homeowners association.

This story was originally published March 5, 2025 at 11:35 AM.