A crime that simply cannot be explained has happened yesterday in the small town of Bell, FL. A grandfather, with a long history with the law including felony convictions, murdered his 28-year-old daughter and her six children, ages ranging from 11 years to 3 months.
Before the shooting, he called 911 to say that he might hurt himself or others. By the time police arrived at the home, it was too late. The shooter had already shot the family members inside the home, and then fatally shot himself while police were there.
The shooter had a history of run-ins with the law, including a felony gun charge.
In 2003, the Orlando Sentinel reported, a man named D__ S_____, then 40, pleaded guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm after accidentally shooting to death his 8-year-old son during a hunting trip two years earlier. The boy, named Kyle, was shot in the head when his father’s high-powered Browning rifle went off while the dad was pointing out a rust spot. After the shooting, the family moved to Bell.
What we do know is that the firearm used in this horrific act was acquired by the shooter illegally, since a convicted felon in FL cannot legally own a firearm. There is always the chance that the firearm was stolen, but it could have also been acquired via private sale or straw purchase, or simply given to him.
If someone is responsible for providing the firearm used in this crime to the shooter and they knew they were breaking the law, we would like to see them found, tried and convicted as soon as possible, and that the person responsible is shown no leniency in sentencing.
