January 18: Just days after the city decided to shut down and literally destroy the tents in a tent city, populated by over 150 homeless people, the bodies of David Heath, 53, and Jeff Shultz, 43, were found a few blocks apart. The two homeless men did not know each other, nor were they residents of the tent city. Both local homeless people and advocates responded to the murders by saying everyone was safer when the tent city existed. “There’s safety in numbers, and right now there’s a lot of fear,” Mary Street explained to The St. Petersburg Times. Street left the tent city last week after getting a voucher for an apartment.

A few weeks later, police arrested two young men Cordaro Antwan Hardin, 18, and Dorion Deshawn Dillard, 20, charging them with both murders. Robbery may have played a role in Shultz’s killing, but Heath’s death seemed to be random. Local police determined that the attackers did not get anything from the victims. Heath leaves behind three children.

In light of the murders, two tent cities were allowed to stand. Mayor Rick Baker later said the decision to cut tents was a mistake and police said they did not plan any more raids.