Suspect charged in stabbing of Elkino Watson
Randolph Graham was charged with second-degree murder Wednesday night in the stabbing death of former USF football player Elkino Watson on Sunday at The Orpheum nightclub in Ybor City.
Tampa Police said Graham, 23, turned himself in Wednesday. He is also charged with attempted murder with a weapon for stabbing and wounding 22-year-old Desmond Horne, who is currently listed in stable condition.
During a non-university sanctioned after-party for USF’s 51-3 win over Florida A&M on Sunday at The Orpheum, witnesses told police that a man punched a woman — who identified herself Sunday in an interview with WFTS-TV as Diamond Hall, Watson’s girlfriend — when she refused to give him her phone number.
Watson then tried to speak with Graham about the incident outside the venue once the event ended. At some point, Graham removed his sunglasses as a fight started, produced a knife and attempted to stab Watson.
Then, when a fight broke out between Horne and another patron, Watson attempted to pull them apart. That’s when Graham approached Watson and stabbed him several times. He also cut Horne.
A witness pulled Graham away from Watson and he fled on foot. Watson, meanwhile, stumbled down East 7th Avenue, then south on 20th Street where he eventually collapsed.
Watson and Horne were both transported to Tampa General Hospital, where Watson later died from his injuries.
More Stories
USF closes all campuses until Saturday due to Hurricane Milton
All USF campuses are closed until at least Saturday in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. Classes are also canceled on Friday and Saturday, according to a universitywide email sent out Thursday afternoon. Teams from USF began an assessment of all campuses Thursday morning, according to a USF website update. The university statement warned students not […]
USF football game rescheduled due to Hurricane Milton
USF football’s game against Memphis has been moved to Saturday at 3:30 p.m., in the wake of Hurricane Milton’s forecasted effects on the area. The game is still slated to be played at Raymond James Stadium. It was initially scheduled for Friday night at 7 p.m. Tickets will still be honored at the new date. […]
As Hurricane Milton approaches, here’s where USF students can evacuate to
As Hurricane Milton approaches Florida’s Gulf Coast, USF has shut down all campuses and on-campus residence halls. Though campus residents can evacuate to Jennings Middle School, this shelter is closed to non-residential students. Related: Hurricane Milton forces closure of USF residence halls – The Oracle This means students who do not live in an on-campus […]
Hurricane Milton forces closure of USF residence halls
Residence halls at the Tampa campus will close Tuesday morning and all classes will be canceled through Thursday due to Hurricane Milton. Related: USF closes campuses for Hurricane Milton – The Oracle Tampa campus students were encouraged to evacuate if they can do so safely in an email sent to the USF community Monday afternoon. […]
USF closes campuses for Hurricane Milton
All USF campuses will be closed through at least Wednesday due to Hurricane Milton. Classes will be remote on Monday and canceled Tuesday and Wednesday, USF announced in a university-wide email Sunday afternoon. An update on Thursday’s classes and the university’s reopening will be made later, according to the email. Students will receive an online […]
USF pres calls for respect on campus ahead of Oct. 7 anniversary
USF President Rhea Law urged the USF community to maintain a respectful and civil environment on campus ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. In a universitywide email on Thursday, Law said the university was aware of several on and off-campus events planned for next week to recognize the […]