Six children, ages 3 months to 10 years old, along with their mother and another adult were gunned down in the latest mass shooting in Florida. But finding out the reason they were slaughtered might never happen since the shooter – the grandfather of the six children and the father of the their mother – killed himself shortly after murdering his grandchildren and their mother.
Around 4pm on Thursday, 51-year old grandfather Don Spirit called 911 and “made reference to harming people and himself,” said Gilchrist county Sheriff, Robert Schultz. When police arrived at his home the carnage was discovered.
“I haven’t handled something like this at all, to say that this county,” Schultz said. “This community is not going to be devastated by this… there are certain things in your life that you can’t explain. We’ll get through this, but I continue to ask everybody to pray for those involved.”
According to reporting by WESH, the deceased children are Kaleb Kuhlmann, 11, Kylie Kuhlmann, 9, Johnathon Kuhlmann, 8, Destiny Stewart, 5, Brandon Stewart, 4, and Alanna Stewart, 3 months. The name of the last victim was not released at this time.
Don Spirit had a long criminal record. In 2003, he pleaded guilty to shooting his 8-year-old son in a “hunting incident.” He was released from prison in 2006. His criminal record also included other charges, amongg them – depriving a child of food/shelter, possession and accidental death.