FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Erin Maloney, Communications Director
Office of the State Attorney, 13th Judicial Circuit
(813) 557-3366 | [email protected]
TAMPA, FL (March 1, 2024) — A jury found Vakarvery Scott, 22, guilty of first-degree murder in the shooting death of a young nursing student. The victim and her sister were driving a few blocks from Julian B. Lane Riverfront park in December 2021 when Scott fired into their vehicle 12 times, killing one woman and injuring the other. Scott was also found guilty of attempted first degree murder for injuring the second victim.
Assistant State Attorneys Elizabeth Muller and Melissa Grajales presented evidence to the jury that tied Scott to the crime, including surveillance video of the defendant committing the shooting, as well as his fingerprints found on the murder weapon. Ballistics testing also proved that the bullets from Scott’s gun matched those retrieved from the victim’s body. Scott admitted to investigators he was responsible for the shooting.
“We should all be able to drive in a car near our beautiful city’s waterfront without the fear of gunfire. The victim in this case was a nursing student with a loving family and a full life ahead of her. My thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones as they continue the grieving process. The defendant will spend the rest of his life in a prison cell thinking about his reckless actions,” said State Attorney Suzy Lopez.