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Motorists' Argument Deadly

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By NEIL JOHNSON, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 1, 2008

TAMPA - Police are looking for a man in the fatal shooting of a 21-year-old man Thursday afternoon after words were exchanged at an intersection.

Police are looking for a black man about 6 feet 2 inches and 160 pounds. He was last seen wearing bluejeans, a white V-neck T-shirt and a blue zippered jacket. He was in a light green or teal late-model Jaguar, police said.

The shooting occurred about 4:20 p.m. in the Belmont Heights Estates neighborhood of Central Tampa. Tampa police said Travis Bruce Cowen of 2603 E. Osborne Ave. drove to the intersection at the same time the man in the Jaguar arrived.

Cowen, the man in the Jaguar and a passenger in the Jaguar got out of their cars and began yelling, police said.

The two people got back in the Jaguar and a back seat passenger jumped out and opened fire.

Cowen was able to run about 20 feet before he collapsed on the front walkway of a duplex at 1701-B E. 25th Ave. He died at the scene, police said.

The Jaguar traveled down 17th Street, followed by one of Cowen's friends who jumped in Cowen's car. The friend lost the Jaguar.

Police found as many as nine shell casings in the street, and detectives dug bullets from the house where Cowen fell as well as from a house a half block away.

Friend and mentor James Tolbert, 41, said Cowen, who had just turned 21, was trying to improve his life.

"He stopped all the foolishness. He was doing fine," Tolbert said.

Tolbert used to take Cowen to work on weekends to help install garage doors. Cowen used to call Tolbert "Pops," Tolbert said.

Albert Young, president of the neighborhood association, said the shooters probably did not live nearby.

"More than likely, anyone who causes problems comes from outside the neighborhood," Young said.

A meeting of the neighborhood crime watch was just ending about four blocks away when the shooting occurred.

"Some of us heard it, but didn't think they were shots," Young said.

Reporter Neil Johnson can be reached at (813) 259-7731 or njohnson@tampatrib.com.

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