Crime & Safety

Clearwater Police Investigate Shooting Possibly Related to Double Homicide

A shoot out early Friday morning happened at the residence of a Derrick Harris, who died earlier this week from gunshot wounds.

Clearwater police are investigating a shooting that happened in front of the house of one of the men who died from gunshot wounds earlier this week. 

Clearwater Police responded to the sound of gunfire at 1006 Metto St about 1:09 a.m. Friday. When they got to the scene they saw gun shell casings on the ground but no victim and no suspect, according to police.

The house is where Derrick Harris lived. He was one of the late Sunday night. William John Hamilton was the other victim. Police still are looking for the suspects involved in that shooting.

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A small group of people were at the house when a silver vehicle, possibly a Kia Forte pulled up, according to police. Some people got out of the car and then shots were fired.

Shortly later, two gunshot victims arrived at Morton Plant Hospital. Tristan Hilton, 20, of Clearwater, was shot multiple times. A second victim was grazed and refused treatment.

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Hilton was arrested and charged with possession and sale of cocaine earlier this year. He was released on bond Feb. 28.

Police are not sure how many suspects they are looking for but are trying to identify all those involved in this most recent shootout.

Investigators still are trying to find the suspects involved in Sunday's incident that left Hamilton, 30, and Harris, 23, dead.

That night, police were patrolling the neighborhood, north of Drew Street, when they heard shots ring out shortly after 11 p.m. They found Harris surrounded by a crowd and dying from a gunshot wound. He was taken to Morton Plant Hospital where he died. Hamilton was dropped off by a friend to the same hospital but it was too late.

About 40 people were in the street when police arrived. Investigators say that two groups of people were involved in an altercation prior to the shooting but haven’t said what that was about. It is not known if Hamilton and Harris were the intended targets, said Elizabeth Watts, Clearwater Police spokeswoman.

Less than 24 hours before he was killed, Hamilton was released from the Pinellas County Jail where he was booked April 2 on charges of burglary and shooting a deadly missile into an occupied vehicle.

Bjorn Brunvand, had represented Hamilton in several criminal cases since his release from prison in 2008 after serving five years on cocaine charges. He said Hamilton had started a car detailing business and seemed to being doing well. Hamilton and his girlfriend are expecting a baby in May, Brunvand said.

“They were very excited about it,” Brunvand said.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Clearwater Police Department Homicide Tip Line at (727) 562-4422 or people can also remain anonymous by sending information to the Clearwater Police Department by texting CWPD and the tip information to 847411 (tip411). Anonymous web tips can also be submitted right the Police Departments website
at www.clearwaterpolice.org


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