He told officers that he had killed two roommates who disrespected his conversion to Islam, Tampa police said.

TAMPA – A man has been charged with two murders after he told officers that he had killed his roommates at the Hamptons condominiums, according to the Tampa Police Department.

Jeremy Himmelman, 22, and Andrew Oneschuk, 18, were found dead at the Amberly Drive address.

Devon Arthurs, 18, of Tampa, is charged with two counts of first degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault, and three counts of armed kidnapping, according to police and Hillsborough County Jail records.

Tampa police officers were called to the Green Planet Smoke Shop, 15325 Amberly Drive, about 5:28 p.m. Friday (May 19) about a man who was possibly armed. When officers arrived they began talking with the man, whom they identified as Arthurs. Police said Arthurs told two customers and an employee in the shop that they could not leave. The officers kept talking to Arthurs and he agreed to let the hostages leave and dropped his weapon. He was taken into custody with no further incident.

While in custody, officers said Arthurs told them that he killed two people. Arthurs directed police to a home inside the Hamptons at Tampa Palms, 15350 Amberly Drive. Police entered the residence and found two dead men. Both appeared to have died from gunshot wounds, police said.

Police said when they asked Arthurs why he had killed his roommates, he said the three of them had shared a common neo-Nazi belief, until Arthurs recently converted to Islam. He told police his roommates disrespected his Muslim faith. He also said he had become angered by what he described as the world’s anti-Muslim sentiment and wanted to bring attention to his cause. Details gained from the interview with Arthurs have been shared with the FBI.

The Tampa Police bomb squad and the Tampa Fire Rescue Hazmat team were called because of concerns about the possible presence of explosives. They worked through the night to ensure that it was safe to enter the condominium. In the meantime, witnesses and the suspect were interviewed. Arthurs was booked into the jail Saturday (May 20).

This appears to be an isolated incident, police said. The defendant and the dead men knew each other and appeared to be living together. The events that led up to the shooting and other details are still under investigation.

For information about Tampa police, go to tampagov.net.

Tampa Police | Murder | Homicide | Crime | Arrests | Tampa Bay News | TB Reporter

#TampaPolice #Murder #Homicide #Crime #Arrests #TampaBayNews #TBReporter