Four people are dead and more than a dozen injured after a car crashed into the outdoor seating area in front of an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Tampa, Florida during last Saturdays early morning hours.Court documents and video footage indicate that 22-year-old Silas Sampson drove his Toyota Camry into the crowded sidewalk seating area of Bradleys on 7th, an LGBTQ+ nightclub in the busy GaYbor entertainment district of Tampas Ybor City neighborhood, around 12:45am on Saturday morning, Tampa Bay Times reports. Three people died at the scene, while a fourth died after being taken to a local hospital. A fifth person remained in critical condition on Sunday, the Times reports. Related FBI arrests multiple suspects for allegedly plotting mass shooting at LGBTQ+ bars Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Police arrested Sampson, who allegedly exited his car and tried to flee the scene. Hes been charged with four counts of vehicular homicide and aggravated fleeing to elude law enforcement.The crash reportedly followed a seven-minute chase that began when a Tampa police helicopter spotted two cars allegedly racing in the citys Seminole Heights neighborhood. The chopper continued to track one car, later identified as Sampsons Camry, as it turned south onto Interstate 275 headed into downtown Tampa. Court documents allege that Sampson was driving in a reckless and erratic manner, according to the Times. Two Florida Highway Patrol cars and one Tampa police vehicle pursued the Camry at high speed, with one Highway Patrol trooper, identified in court documents as A. Carrasco, attempting to stop Sampson using a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) maneuver. The controversial technique involves a police vehicle striking the rear side of a fleeing car. Sampson managed to maintain control of the car, however, and Carrasco terminated the high-speed pursuit due to heavy pedestrian traffic further ahead, court documents state.Sampson continued into the Ybor City area where he plowed onto the sidewalk in front of Bradleys on 7th, striking a pillar.The suspect vehicle struck several pedestrians walking along the sidewalk and hurled their bodies in the direction of an outdoor seating area at Bradleys, court documents state, according to the Times. Police said Sampson who previously served a years probation after police found a handgun with a defaced serial number in his possession during a June 2024 traffic stop also appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. While in custody, the Defendant made spontaneous statements, including admitting that he made a mistake, asking how many people he killed, and saying just get me to the jail so he could go and sit for a few months, court documents state.On Sunday, a judge ordered Sampson be held without bond until a Thursday hearing on prosecutors motion for pretrial detention.In a statement posted to Facebook, Bradleys on 7th owner Bradley Nelson said that the crash had been traumatic for the bars staff. Nelson asked that the community keep those killed and injured in their prayers. Nelson also thanked local law enforcement, including the Tampa Police Department, the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol for responding quickly and efficiently on Saturday morning. However, as the Tampa Bay Times notes, others have criticized the state Highway Patrol for making a dangerous situation even more deadly. Over 5,000 bystanders and passengers were killed in police car chases between 1979 and 2013, with thouseands more injured, according to a 2015 USA Today analysis cited by the Tampa Bay Times. Additionally, in 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice recommended that local law enforcement agencies update their policies to only allow for pursuits under specific circumstances.As the Times reports, while Tampa Police Department policy only allows pursuits in specific situations, the state highway patrol gives individual troopers broad discretion to pursue fleeing vehicles. Bradleys regular Parker Sanchez told the outlet that he felt the highway patrol escalated the situation, while Tom Gleason, a Florida law enforcement instructor who specializes in pursuits, noted that PIT maneuvers are only meant to be used at low speeds. Gleason also questioned why the officers had engaged in a high-speed chase when a Tampa PD helicopter was already tracking the vehicle.A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, however, laid the blame for Saturday mornings tragedy with Sampson.The driver was already operating recklessly and endangering lives before troopers engaged, Madison Kessler told the Times. Our troopers followed policy, disengaged prior to when the suspect entered a crowded area, and the driver lost control on his own. This tragedy rests solely on the suspects reckless actions, not law enforcement.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.