In a case that a Florida sheriff described as “heartbreaking,” authorities discovered three dead bodies and a nearly-dead suspect after a child fled from a horrific crime.
A call regarding a potential shooting at a residence on West 12th Avenue in Hilliard, Florida, was received by the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office at approximately 8 p.m. on Thursday. Sheriff Bill Leeper stated during a press conference on Friday that arriving deputies attempted to reach someone inside but received no answer.
Next, the deputies unlocked the front door.
“As the door was open, they observed a female on the floor between the living room and dining room lying in blood,” said the sheriff.
A man was “lying on the floor in the living room in a puddle of blood,” the sheriff said, when deputies arrived to ensure there was no immediate threat.
According to reports, the individual was accompanied with an assault weapon in 7.62 caliber, similar to the SKS.
A woman was discovered in the hallway bathroom “with blood and brain splatter all over the wall and the floor,” according to Leeper, when deputies carried out their “protective sweep” of the house.
A third woman was discovered by the deputies “lying in a pool of blood on the floor in a bedroom across the hall from the bathroom.”
After examining the women, investigators concluded that they were “obviously deceased.” But the victim “had a slight pulse,” and he was taken by air to a Jacksonville hospital that was close by.
The man, named as 34-year-old Christopher Bobby Rowell, is suspected by investigators of shooting one woman in the living room/dining room area, another in the bathroom, and a third in the bedroom.
“He eventually returned to the living room, where he shot himself in the head,” said the sheriff.
A 5-year-old girl managed to get away despite all the destruction.
The child “who was inside the residence at the time of the shooting came to their house, banging on the door and stated the suspect had killed others inside the home,” according to Leeper, who told investigators this information from a neighbor. Next, the neighbor dialed 911.
The child described the horror she experienced. She claimed that a gunshot was heard when she was in the rear of the house. As she walked down the hallway, she saw a woman on the floor between the living and dining rooms.
“Another female grabbed her, put her in the bathroom,” stated Leeper. “When that individual was shot, she got blood splatter on her.”
After that, the sheriff revealed that it was “some type of domestic incident,” but he refrained from making any further assumptions until the inquiry was complete.
Rowell was “clinically deceased” as of Friday, and his organs were scheduled to be removed. Authorities told an independent Jacksonville-based TV station that the three women were adults and that all of the victims were connected, though their identities were not disclosed.
According to the sheriff, the girl was “very strong” and “very brave,” and the child was “safe” with other family members. He claimed to have been “traumatized” by the event, nevertheless.
According to the sheriff, the girl was “very strong” and “very brave,” and the child was “safe” with other family members. He claimed to have been “traumatized” by the event, nevertheless.
“If you look at a positive with something like this, this tragic, it’s that the child was not injured, thank God,” Leeper stated. “And the shooter had the courage to shoot himself.”
The sheriff went on to say, “It’s heartbreaking and totally, totally was unnecessary,”
A neighbor, who is thought to be a different person than the one who phoned the police, reported that she saw police officers examining her property on Friday morning and discovering that her house had been struck by a bullet.
The neighbor remarked, “It was crazy to think about,” “You just don’t hear about this kind of stuff in Hilliard.”
Gray said, “I knew that it hit,” referring to the bullet. “I just didn’t know where, and we knew it didn’t come inside; we were thankful for that.”
About 30 miles north of Jacksonville, in Florida’s extreme northeast, sits Hilliard.
