Howell Donaldson's mugshot released by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office

The alleged Tampa serial killer has been arrested and charged with murdering four people.

Howell Donaldson was arrested after police received a tip from a McDonald's staff member Tuesday afternoon about a man with a gun and brought him in for questioning.

The 24-year-old was brought in after a gun was recovered from the scene, according to WFLA.

Donaldson, who goes by Trai because it is a family name, has been charged with four counts of first degree murder. He is accused of fatally shooting Benjamin Mitchell, Monica Hoffa, Anthony Naiboa and Ronald Felton.

Gail Rogers works at the McDonald's with Donaldson, and told The Tampa Bay Times Donaldson walked into the restaurant in his work uniform and asked the manager to hold his loaded 9mm handgun.

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Donaldson, who goes by Trai because it is a family name, is accused of fatally shooting Benjamin Mitchell, Monica Hoffa, Anthony Naiboa and Ronald Felton

Donaldson, 24, is seen in white being led by law enforcement personnel into the Orient Road Jail Wednesday

Officers are processing possible evidence and a red Mustang (pictured) at a McDonald's in Ybor City in Tampa

He then walked to Amscot to get a payday loan, and the manager had Rogers alert a female officer in the McDonald's about what had just happened. That officer then called for backup.

Rogers told the Times that Donaldson had worked at that McDonald's for about four months, and said he arrived at work driving a red Ford Mustang. The car is believed to belong to his father.

Donaldson was born in North Carolina but spent most of his life in Tampa before going to play college basketball at St John's University in New York.

On Tuesday afternoon Police Chief Brian Dugan told reporters that a man was brought in for questioning in connection with the murders. The killings started 51 days ago in the city's Seminole Height's neighborhood.

Howell Donaldson was arrested after police received a tip from a McDonald's staff member Tuesday afternoon about a man with a gun and brought him in for questioning

Donaldson, who goes by Trai because it is a family name, has been charged with four counts of first degree murder and accused of fatally shooting Benjamin Mitchell, Monica Hoffa, Anthony Naiboa and Ronald Felton. He is pictured right with his mother and sister

Gail Rogers works at the McDonald's with Donaldson (pictured is the McDonald's where he worked), and told The Tampa Bay Times Donaldson walked into the restaurant in his work uniform and asked the manager to hold his loaded 9mm handgun

Speaking after the arrest, Mayor Bob Buckhorn said: 'Fifty one days ago I said this was a struggle between good and evil.

'Well, tonight goodness has won.'

Earlier this week police connected the killings based on their methodology - meaning they were all killed in the same way, which is common for serial killers.

Earlier on Tuesday Police Chief Brian Dugan told reporters that a man was brought in for questioning in connection with the murders. The killings started 51 days ago in the city's Seminole Height's neighborhood

The suspect, who is pictured in a surveillance video released after the attacks, is described as a thin light-skinned black man between 6 feet and 6 feet 2 inches. Because all four victims were killed in the same way there are fears that a serial killer in on the loose

Each of the four victims was killed but not robbed while they walked along at night within a half-mile area of the Seminole Heights neighborhood.

The victims, though, didn't have any common similarities based on race, age or occupation.

The first attack happened on October 9 when Benjamin Mitchell was shot dead after getting off a bus in the neighborhood at night.

Two days after Mitchell, 22, was shot, Monica Hoffa, 32, was gunned down. And on October 19, Anthony Naiboa, 20, was shot after taking the wrong bus home from his new job. Police patrolling nearby heard the gunshots and rushed to the scene to find Naiboa dead.

The first attack happened on October 9 when Benjamin Mitchell (left) was shot dead after getting off a bus in the neighborhood at night. Two days after Mitchell, 22, was shot, Monica Hoffa, (right) 32, was gunned down

On October 19, Anthony Naiboa, (left) 20, was shot after taking the wrong bus home from his new job. Then on November 14 Ronald Felton (right) was crossing at Nebraska and Wilder when a man dressed in all black came up behind him and shot him

Each of the four victims was killed but not robbed while they walked along at night within a half-mile are of the Seminole Heights neighborhood

Then in late October Dugan released a blurry video of a suspect, who can be seen wearing a hooded jacket and walking down a street near one of the shootings.

He then released another video on November 16 of who he believes is the same man, who was present near the fatal shooting of Ronald Felton.

Felton was the last of the four victims to be killed, and was shot on November 14.

Police said the victim, a construction worker and father of three adult children, was crossing at Nebraska and Wilder when a man dressed in all black came up behind him and shot him.

Dugan described the suspect in the video as a thin light-skinned black man between 6 feet and 6 feet 2 inches.