FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Erin Maloney, Communications Director
Office of the State Attorney, 13th Judicial Circuit
(813) 557-3366 | [email protected]
TAMPA, FL (March 26, 2024) — Sunny Wallace, the defendant charged with the attempted murder of three individuals in an Ybor City parking garage over the weekend, will remain behind bars until trial. The State Attorney’s Office successfully argued that no conditions of release or bail would protect the community from the defendant’s dangerous behavior.
One of the victims from the shooting, who is wheelchair bound while recovering from his injuries, testified about the defendant’s actions on March 23. The victim said he was walking with his brother and friend back to their vehicle in the parking garage after a night out in Ybor City. The victim walked past a vehicle when the defendant opened the passenger side door and asked what he was doing there. The victim says he stepped back from the vehicle before Wallace opened fire. None of the victims knew Wallace or had any contact with him that night.
Wallace attempted to flee law enforcement and crashed into another vehicle before being arrested. Wallace admitted to police he shot the victims in self-defense because they were “talking smack.” When asked what the victims said to Wallace, he told police he wasn’t sure. A police detective testified Wallace appeared impaired at the time of the interview which happened shortly after the shooting.
“Three young lives could have been lost in this senseless act of gun violence. We are fortunate the victims are here to tell their stories, and we will help them on their road to recovery while seeking justice together. I appreciate the Tampa Police Officers whose swift action on the scene helped to quickly identify the shooter to take him into custody,” said State Attorney Suzy Lopez.
Wallace has faced other gun-related charges as a juvenile out of Levy County. He allegedly used a firearm during a fight at a house party in 2020. He is currently on probation out of Marion County for resisting a police officer and disorderly conduct.