On February 4, 2023, a tragic incident occurred at a Shell gas station located at 66505 E Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Tampa, Florida. David Keeley, a 44-year veteran nurse and the husband of Michael Fordyce, was fatally shot during a carjacking.
The events unfolded when Michael Fordyce and his husband, David Keeley, gave a ride to a man they had met earlier. The suspect, who was in the backseat, directed them to the gas station.
Upon arriving at the gas station, the suspect's actions turned violent. Fordyce described being hit on the side of the head with a gun, and a bullet hitting the windshield. In the ensuing struggle, the gun was turned on David Keeley, and the suspect pulled the trigger, killing him.
Fordyce, who was driving the vehicle, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was treated at the scene. He recounted the horrific incident, emphasizing the kindness and generosity of his husband, who had been his partner for 16 years. Keeley was described as a kind, quiet, and loving person who had retired to Florida from Indiana.
The suspect, identified as Paul Wayne Williams II, 37, was later arrested on multiple charges, including first-degree murder while engaging in a carjacking, armed carjacking with great bodily harm or death, attempted robbery with a firearm, and aggravated battery with a firearm. Williams was also facing charges related to outstanding warrants. He was being held without bond at the Orient Road Jail.
The vehicle belonging to the victims was recovered nearby after the incident. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office had issued an arrest warrant for Williams, and he was apprehended days after the crime. The case highlighted the brutality and senselessness of the crime, with Fordyce expressing his inability to understand why someone would commit such a violent act against people who were trying to help him.
