A 21-year-old Bahamian student studying in Florida has been named by law enforcement as the primary suspect in a double stabbing incident close to the University of South Florida, before his body was discovered at a nearby apartment complex hours after the attack.
According to official statements from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect, Hansel Pearson, who hails from Grand Bahama, is accused of stabbing his roommate and a second individual in a pre-dawn assault at the Halo 46 Apartments in Tampa last Wednesday. The violent incident unfolded on June 10.
Local law enforcement deputies were dispatched to the apartment complex located on North 46th Street at approximately 4:30 a.m., responding to an emergency 911 call placed by one of the victims, who reported that both he and another person had sustained stab wounds. Both injured victims were quickly transported to a local medical facility for treatment, and as of the initial investigation, their conditions were marked as stable.
Investigative teams have confirmed that Pearson and one of the victims are roommates and both enrolled as students at the University of South Florida. The second victim, however, has no known connection to the higher education institution.
Roughly half a day after the stabbing attack, Pearson’s body was found at the Union on Fletcher Apartments, a residential location just one mile away from the scene of the stabbing. The discovery prompted law enforcement to open a separate death investigation into the circumstances of Pearson’s passing. To date, authorities have not released any details regarding how Pearson died, nor have they made public any confirmed motive that may have sparked the stabbing attack.
News of Pearson’s death has been met with grief from his family. A relative shared a public mourning post on Facebook, identifying Pearson as her grandson and writing that his passing has left her with deep and overwhelming emotional pain. She shared that she believes Pearson has been reunited in heaven with his father, who passed away before him, noting that this loss has left her feeling as if she has lost two sons instead of one.
When contacted by local Bahamian news outlet The Tribune this week, an aunt of Pearson based in Grand Bahama said the family has no interest in speaking to the media about the incident. The Tribune also reached out to Tyeson McKenzie, Bahamas Consul General based in Miami, who confirmed that Bahamian consular officials are still in the process of reviewing the case and gathering details about the incident.