Former Tampa City Council Candidate Pulls Gun at Forum, Claims Self-Defense

Candidate Forum Incident

• ⚡ A political forum for the Tampa City Council District 5 special runoff election became chaotic when former candidate Elvis Piggott pulled a firearm.
• 🎯 Piggott claims he acted in self-defense after being confronted by a family member of one of the candidates, Nia Young.
• ⚠️ Piggott stated, "Don't put your hands on me. I'm about to lay him on his back. I pulled my firearm."

Candidate's Perspective and Investigation

• 🗣️ Piggott detailed his account in a now-deleted 2-hour Facebook live stream, asserting he was protecting himself and his 2-year-old son.
• 🚓 Tampa police are conducting an open and active investigation into the incident, collecting witness statements.
• ⚖️ Piggott indicated that he believes the matter is now in the hands of the state attorney and law enforcement.

Reactions and Official Statements

• 📢 Nia Young, one of the candidates, described the event as an unprovoked act of violence and intimidation in a statement on Instagram.
• 🎤 A forum moderator, Garrett Greco, called for condemning political violence and focusing on issues.
• 🚫 No arrests have been made as of the report, and police are still gathering information.
• 💬 Piggott dismissed Young's statement as falsified, stating, "I think we don't have room for that."