Mark Anthony White

Mark Anthony White was a kind and caring man who was deeply loved by his family. His aunt, Beverly Barnes, had been living with him since her husband passed away and said she "thought the world of him." Mark, a 45-year-old male, had been with his girlfriend, Deana Owens, for 12 years. His life was cut short in a sudden act of violence that Owens would later describe as "senseless."

The tragedy unfolded on the evening of April 5, 2021, in Tampa, Florida. For some time, Mark had been involved in an ongoing dispute with his next-door neighbor, Nathan Espinal, over Mark shooting at the fence on his own property. That day, the conflict reached a fatal conclusion.

According to police, Espinal warned Mark not to shoot at the fence again. Mark reportedly responded by cursing and making an obscene gesture with his two middle fingers. Espinal later told investigators that at that moment, he "lost it" and shot Mark several times.

At about 5:45 p.m., Espinal himself called 911 to report that he had shot his neighbor. He told authorities he had walked back into his house, put the gun into a case, and then made the call. When police arrived, they found Mark lying in his front yard, about 50 feet from the fenced property line that separated the two homes.

Nathan Espinal, then 37, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a felon. He was taken into custody at the scene. As of April 2021, the case was moving forward in the justice system.