Crime & Public Safety
Man arrested after firing into vehicle of driver who stopped to help on Main Street
Hillsborough County deputies arrested a 32-year-old man after an early-morning shooting that struck a motorist’s vehicle near Main Street and Grovewood Avenue. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office says the incident occurred just before 1:00 a.m. on September 29, 2026 when a man walking along the roadway flagged down a driver with a flashlight. The driver stopped to help and the pedestrian then fired multiple rounds, striking the vehicle five times.
The victim drove to a nearby gas station and contacted HCSO. Deputies searched the area and, through investigative means, identified Franklin Windham as the shooter. Detectives obtained a search warrant for Windham’s residence and located a firearm that HCSO says matches the caliber used in the shooting.
Authorities have charged Windham with multiple offenses, including second-degree attempted murder, shooting at or into a vehicle, discharge of a firearm in public, criminal mischief, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and aggravated battery related counts. The sheriff’s public statement described the victim’s actions as an attempt to help and confirmed the case remains under active investigation.
The HCSO Public Affairs Office is handling updates. The agency’s actions reported so far include the initial response, investigative identification of a suspect, a search warrant execution, evidence recovery and arrest and charging of the named individual.
All individuals accused of a crime are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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All individuals mentioned in criminal allegations are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.