ZombiCon: 1 year later, no arrests

FORT MYERS, Fla. — One glaring question remains a year after one person was killed and five others were injured during a shooting at a zombie-themed event: Who fired the bullets?

Expavious Tyrell Taylor, 20, of Okeechobee, was killed after shots were fired outside Los Cabos Cantina on Oct. 17, 2015 during ZombiCon.

Tyree Hunter, 20, of Fort Myers; James Perez, 22, of Naples; Isiah James Knight, 18, of Fort Myers, Kyle Garick Roberts, 20, of Port Charlotte, and John Parsons, 31, of Fort Myers, were also shot.

No arrests have been made. Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers said they heard back from a critical tipster they were seeking to contact this summer but still lack key information. Fort Myers police declined to comment for this story.

Crime Stoppers coordinator Trish Routte insists the shooting isn’t turning into a cold case and remains firm in her belief that whomever was responsible will be brought to justice.

“There has been some good information out there, and I think we’ve got some amazingly thorough detectives that are working this case,” Routte said. “And here we are one year later, and they are working this case as aggressively today as they were a year ago.”

Pushing Daizies, the event’s organizers, is facing multiple lawsuits from the surviving victims.

More than 100 security cameras were installed around downtown following the shooting with the idea of decreasing crime and helping to better identify suspects.

Some, like Jeff Bush, a 2012 and 2013 ZombiCon attendee, believe the cameras are necessary. But, Bush concedes they deter from the city’s quaint downtown charm.

“If you don’t have any witnesses, you don’t have evidence,” Bush said. “And the inevitable is that it becomes a little bit more like New York City with cameras everywhere, that’s the only option you got.”

Anyone with information is encouraged to call FMPD, or Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-8477.

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