Current:Home > MyFather accused of trying to date his daughter, charged in shooting of her plus 3 more -Prime Money Path
Father accused of trying to date his daughter, charged in shooting of her plus 3 more
View
Date:2025-04-24 09:05:14
A Florida man who police said shot three women last week at a home, killing one after allegedly admitting he wanted "a romantic relationship" with his own daughter, was indicted Thursday on multiple charges including first-degree murder.
Michael Banks, 42, is also accused of opening fire on police when they responded to the Jan. 17 triple shooting at a home about 8 miles north of downtown Tampa, the Tampa Police Department reported.
According to information from police and a six-page indictment filed Thursday, police were called to Banks' home for a report of a shooting and found his mother and 17-year-old daughter outside the home shot, asking for help.
Shortly after, police wrote in a news release, Banks allegedly opened fire on officers, "forcing them to return fire."
Although no gunfire struck the suspect, he was taken into custody after surrendering at the scene soon after, police said.
Banks' attorney, Maria Dunker, declined to comment on the case Thursday.
Georgia toddler dies:3-year-old dies after mother keeps her kids in freezing woods overnight, police say
Fatal shooting victim identified in court papers as Josephine Muentus
Hillsborough County Circuit Court papers identified the fatal shooting victim as 52-year-old Josephine Muentus.
USA TODAY is not naming the surviving shooting victims. No officers or civilians were injured in the shootout, police said.
“Our thoughts are with the family of the woman who is deceased and those injured in today’s tragedy,” police Chief Lee Bercaw released in a statement after the triple shooting.
'Leaving with the daughter'
Before the shooting, Banks reportedly wrote a letter to his teenage daughter saying she should "enter into a relationship with him and not date anyone else,” according to court documents obtained by the Tampa Bay Times and WFLA-TV.
Banks’ mother, age 60, said she and Muentes were discussing "forcing Banks to move out of the home" because he “was pursuing a romantic relationship with his daughter,” the outlets reported.
After the discussion, the Times reported, Banks' mother said she "heard a gunshot, turned around and saw Muentes fall to the floor as Banks stood over her holding his gun."
The woman said Banks then "shot at her, grazing her head, and she ran out of the house."
The documents, according the outlet, go onto show Banks' daughter was in the shower when she heard the gunfire, and Banks shot her in the leg as she ran out of the home.
Jailed without bond pending arraignment
Banks is charged with first-degree murder, three counts of attempted murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to his indictment, Banks was previously convicted of aggravated battery on a pregnant female on June 22, 2007, in Hillsborough County Circuit Court and was forbidden to possess a firearm.
He remained jailed without bond on Thursday, online records show.
Court records show Banks is set to be arraigned on the charges on Feb. 6.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
veryGood! (5758)
Related
- The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
- What does a total solar eclipse look like? Photos from past events show what to expect in 2024
- Tech companies sign accord to combat AI-generated election trickery
- MLB's hottest commodity, White Sox ace Dylan Cease opens up about trade rumors
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- What does a total solar eclipse look like? Photos from past events show what to expect in 2024
- Caitlin Clark does it! Iowa guard passes Kelsey Plum as NCAA women's basketball top scorer
- Eras Tour in Australia: Tracking Taylor Swift's secret songs in Melbourne and Sydney
- 'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
- Body of deputy who went missing after making arrest found in Tennessee River
Ranking
- The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
- Watch Live: Fulton County prosecutors decline to call Fani Willis to return for questioning
- Sterling K. Brown recommends taking it 'moment to moment,' on screen and in life
- Murders of women in Kenya lead to a public outcry for a law on femicide
- Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
- Gwen Stefani talks son Kingston's songwriting, relearning No Doubt songs
- Teen Mom Alum Jenelle Evans and Husband David Eason's Child Protective Services Case Dropped
- 2024 NBA All-Star Game is here. So why does the league keep ignoring Pacers' ABA history?
Recommendation
Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
Biden to visit East Palestine, Ohio, today, just over one year after train derailment
Watch Caitlin Clark’s historic 3-point logo shot that broke the women's NCAA scoring record
Top National Security Council cybersecurity official on institutions vulnerable to ransomware attacks — The Takeout
Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
Blogger Laura Merritt Walker Shares Her 3-Year-Old Son Died After Tragic Accident
Auto workers threaten to strike again at Ford’s huge Kentucky truck plant in local contract dispute
Tinder and Hinge dating apps are designed to addict users, lawsuit claims