A reported dispute over missing money turned into a chaotic shooting early Saturday morning in the parking lot of Tropical Vibes, leaving three people wounded and a Belleview man facing multiple felony charges, including attempted murder.
The incident happened around 1:41 a.m. on July 26 outside Tropical Vibes, a restaurant and bar on SE 66th Terrace. Many remember this location as the longtime site of Cal’s Place Restaurant. According to the Belleview Police Department, the business was open and occupied at the time, with multiple patrons present when gunfire apparently broke out in the parking lot following an argument.
Officers responded to a series of 911 calls reporting multiple victims. Two of those injured had taken shelter inside the rear of the building. One was a woman with a gunshot wound to her wrist; the other, a man who had been shot in the buttocks. A third victim — later identified as Dante A. Townsel — was located behind a neighboring business suffering from three gunshot wounds to the chest, shoulder, and wrist.
Witnesses told officers that the suspect, 25-year-old Sammy Hill, had been drinking inside the restaurant and bar when he began accusing Townsel of stealing $700. Hill allegedly told Townsel to follow him outside, then retrieved a firearm from a black Dodge Durango and opened fire in the parking lot, chasing Townsel around a white utility van.
Townsel fled the scene but was found shortly afterward in need of immediate medical care. All three victims were transported to local hospitals and are expected to recover.
One witness dragged one of the victims to a back room and applied pressure to his wound while waiting for emergency responders.
Officers and Marion County deputies recovered eleven shell casings around the van. The vehicle had visible damage from multiple bullet strikes. Additional damage visible to Tropical Vibes included rounds damaging the front glass, three bullet holes in the building’s outer wall, and a fire extinguisher that had discharged after being hit. A trail of blood and a pair of gray slide sandals were also found near the back entrance of the business.
Several witnesses said Hill fled the scene in a silver vehicle but left behind the Durango he had parked earlier in the night. One patron recalled Hill admitting the SUV was his after an announcement was made to move the vehicle. That same witness believed the firearm had been retrieved from it before the shooting began.
Around 8:49 a.m., Hill returned to the scene with a woman and attempted to access the Durango. Officers detained him on site. During questioning, Hill admitted he had been at the restaurant and bar that night but claimed he couldn’t remember what happened. He said he had been drinking and was upset that the event wasn’t as private as he expected. When told he had been identified by several witnesses as the shooter, Hill reportedly showed remorse and told officers, “Let’s do what we gotta do to get this situation over with.”
Though Hill denied firing a weapon, police say probable cause existed for his arrest based on physical evidence and eyewitness accounts. He was booked into the Marion County Jail on charges of attempted murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, shooting into an occupied structure, discharging a firearm in public, and felony criminal mischief.
