Deron Lamar Foster, Shooting at Vehicle, Florida 2022

TAMPA, FL – A Tampa man, Deron Lamar Foster, 35, will spend the next decade behind bars after being sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for a brazen shooting that put a child’s life at risk. Foster, a convicted felon, opened fire on a vehicle carrying a six-year-old child outside a Tampa apartment complex, authorities say. The incident occurred as Foster argued with his former significant other.

According to court documents, Foster’s ex-partner and their child were arriving at the apartment via rideshare. While the woman briefly entered the apartment to retrieve belongings, she placed the six-year-old in the backseat of the vehicle. That’s when Foster allegedly unleashed a volley of gunfire – five to six shots – at the rideshare car. The driver, realizing he was under attack, immediately fled and flagged down a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputy near a local pawn shop.

Two bullet holes ripped through the vehicle – one on the driver’s side door, the other dangerously close to where the child was seated in the rear middle seat. Thankfully, neither the driver nor the child were physically injured, but the emotional trauma is undoubtedly significant. Foster fled the scene immediately after the shooting, but was apprehended several days later by Hillsborough County deputies. He was found to be in possession of a loaded firearm.

Ballistics analysis confirmed the weapon matched the one used in the apartment complex shooting. The fact that Foster was even *in possession* of a firearm is a violation of federal law, given his extensive criminal history. He’s a repeat offender, previously convicted of multiple felonies, including child abuse and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. These prior convictions prohibit him from owning or possessing any firearms or ammunition.

The case was spearheaded by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with crucial support from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell successfully prosecuted the case, securing the 10-year sentence and a court order for Foster to forfeit the firearm and ammunition used in the commission of the crime.

Federal officials emphasized that this case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a comprehensive program designed to reduce violent crime and gun violence by fostering collaboration between law enforcement and local communities. The Department of Justice launched a strengthened version of PSN in May 2021, prioritizing community trust, violence prevention, strategic enforcement, and measurable results. This conviction, they say, is a direct result of those efforts to make neighborhoods safer.

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