Both victims played high school football in Sarasota
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a shooting that left one person dead and one injured on April 26 near the 2200 block of Hammock Place, which is near part of The Meadows communities in the northeastern part of the county, the Sheriff’s Office has reported.
At approximately 2:51 a.m. that day, a news release said, deputies responded to the Hammock Place location after being alerted to reports of a disturbance; “that was later updated to a shooting,” the release explained.
“A large gathering was taking place at a residence when an altercation occurred and two people were shot,” the release added. One of the victims died as a result of his injuries, the release said.
In an April 28 update, the Sheriff’s Office reported that the victims were attendees “at what has been described as a ‘house party.’ … The male decedent has been identified as Sambo Ung of Sarasota. The other male victim has been identified as Tony J. Register, also of Sarasota,” that release added.
No information about Register’s injuries was provided in the release.
In an online search, The Sarasota News Leader found that Sambo Ung Jr. played cornerback for the Riverview High School football team in Sarasota and participated in track events for the school, as well. MaxPreps.com listed him as a senior on the football team in 2020, adding that he graduated in 2021.
The Riverview High Rams Football Instagram account had this note this week: “The Riverview Football family is deeply saddened to hear about the tragic loss of Sambo Ung. He will forever be remembered for his passion for the game and his love for his teammates. Words cannot express the sense of loss we are experiencing but our thoughts and prayers are with the Ung family.”
Further, the News Leader found that Tony Register was a defensive tackle for the Booker High School football team, as reported by 247sports.com. The website says Register was a 2019 graduate of that school.
The April 28 news release from the Sheriff’s Office about the April 26 incident also reported, “Following an extensive search of the crime scene over the weekend, detectives are reviewing surveillance video in the area,” hoping to identify individuals who were present at the event so the detectives could speak with them.
The scene was being processed, the release said. “It is believed that this is an isolated incident with no continued threat to the community,” the release pointed out.
Hammock Place is north of 17th Street and the City of Sarasota’s Bobby Jones Golf Club, a map shows. It is west of Longmeadow road in The Meadows.
Hammock Place is part of the Kensington Park community, as noted on a map on a Trulia real estate webpage.
However, the property that stands at 2200 Hammock Place is owned by Florida Power & Light Co., Sarasota County Property Appraiser’s Office records show. The parcel comprises nearly 37.6 acres, the records note.
The Sheriff’s Office is asking that anyone with information regarding the incident call the non-emergency line at 941-316-1201 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers by calling 941-366-TIPS (8477) or going online at www.crimestoppers.com.
Past criminal charges for Ung and Register
In a search of the records maintained by the Sarasota County Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller’s Office, the News Leader learned that Ung had just turned 22 in March. His date of birth was included in a careless driving citation he received on June 17, 2023.
The Florida Highway Patrol issued the citation, the document said, because he failed to stop in a timely manner to avoid a crash. The resulting property damage was estimated at $6,000, the citation added. No one was injured in the incident, which occurred at the intersection of North Lockwood Ridge Road and 61st Street, the form noted.
Ungo paid the $166 total of fines and fees, court records show.
A News Leader review of court records for Register found that his age is 25.
He has been charged with numerous traffic violations since December 2018, including driving without a license.
Further, in September 2023, he was charged with possession of cocaine, fleeing/eluding law enforcement officers who had lights and sirens activated, and tampering/destroying/concealing evidence — all felony counts.
The Probable Cause Affidavit in that case says that Sarasota Police Department officers observed Register speeding in a vehicle that was northbound at the intersection of Tuttle Avenue and 12th Street. The officers failed to get the driver to stop at the intersection of 22nd Street and North Tuttle Avenue, the affidavit explains, but they were able to stop it in front of the property located at 2406 24th St. in Sarasota.
Register, who was driving, had two passengers with him, the affidavit continues. The officers detected an odor of marijuana when they approached the Honda, the affidavit adds. A search of the car led to the discovery of a clear baggie in the center console whose contents ended up testing positive for cocaine. Register told the officers that the baggie was his.
Register ended up pleading “No Contest” to the charges, court records show. He was sentenced to five months in jail, another document says.