16-year-old Hillsborough boy arrested for Brandon murder in 2022

A Hillsborough teenager faces murder charges for his role in a robbery that ended in murder at a Brandon apartment complex in 2022, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.

Officers arrested 16-year-old Tony Shepard Jr. on Tuesday after detectives obtained a search warrant for his home and said they seized drugs, weapons and money.

Shepard is the fourth and final suspect arrested in connection with a murder that occurred on November 23, 2022. According to prosecutors, it was a botched robbery during a drug deal that ended with the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old boy.

Officers responded to several calls about a shooting near the Lakewood Place apartment complex, 1701 Lake Chapman Drive, around 8:20 p.m. that evening. The complex is located on Lakewood Drive, just north of West Brandon Boulevard. When officers arrived, they found the teen in the driver’s seat of a vehicle that had crashed into a tree, according to an arrest report from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. He had been shot in the neck and died from the injury.

The sheriff’s office has not released the boy’s name.

Last year, three other Hillsborough teens were charged in connection with the shooting: Jamerius Bennefield, 17, Jyi’Keem Henry, 16, and Demitrus Bailey, 17. Shepard was identified as their driver, according to the sheriff’s office.

In addition to first-degree murder, Shepard is charged with possession of a firearm as a minor, grand theft of a firearm, armed possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and concealed carrying of a firearm.

“This investigation highlights the tireless efforts of our investigators to ensure victims and their families receive justice, no matter how long it takes,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a news release. “Our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones. We hope this helps them bring closure to the case knowing that justice will prevail.”