At least 33 deputies responded to Dick’s House of Sport, where a man was found dead inside a fitting room.
BRANDON, Fla. — Brandon Exchange remained open through its regular closing time Friday while deputies investigated a fatal shooting inside Dick’s House of Sport and detained two people believed to have been involved, authorities said.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office sent at least 33 deputies to the shopping center after an employee called 911 at 4:28 p.m. to report a shooting. The response included members of the agency’s K-9 Unit, but officials said the rest of the shopping center continued normal operations.
Deputies arrived within four minutes of the call and found a man dead inside a fitting room, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Two people believed to have been involved were detained two minutes later. The agency did not report any additional injuries or announce that another suspect was being sought.
Investigators said three people had entered the store together and gone into a fitting room before employees heard a gunshot. Surveillance video later showed two of them running from the store into the parking lot, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The agency’s account indicates the three people were together before the shooting, but officials had not explained their relationship or what happened inside the fitting room. Authorities also had not released a motive, identified the man who died or said whether the two detained people would face charges.
The decision to keep Brandon Exchange operating meant other stores and common areas continued business while deputies worked at the sporting goods location. The Sheriff’s Office did not report a broader threat to shoppers or employees after the two people were detained.
Sheriff Chad Chronister said the response brought order to what he described as a dangerous situation at a place where families gather. He credited deputies with quickly securing the scene and detaining those believed to have been involved.
Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer provided a briefing from the scene Friday. The investigation remained centered on establishing what occurred in the fitting room, determining who fired the shot and deciding whether the evidence supports criminal charges.
The Sheriff’s Office continued to describe the case as an active death investigation Sunday. Officials said future updates would come from the agency’s Public Affairs Office, but no schedule for another announcement had been released.
Author note: Last updated July 12, 2026.