A shooting involving multiple victims, including children, was being investigated by police in the north Florida town of Bell on Thursday evening, according to local media reports.
Children ages 3mo to about 10 years old. Grandfather shot his daughter and her 6 children. #BellShooting pic.twitter.com/zvgb0YHD5g
— Hailey Holloway (@HaileyHolloway_) September 19, 2014
The Gainesville Sun is reporting that two adults and six children are dead.
The Gilchrist County sheriff’s office declined to comment but said a press conference was scheduled for later on Thursday. Bell is a small town of several hundred people about 35 miles west of Gainesville.
The shooter was identified as Don Charles Spirit, who shot his daughter and six of his grandchildren before taking his own life, the Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office confirmed during a press conference.
Sheriff confirms suspect in #bellshooting is Don Charles Spirit: http://t.co/Tx7l93ujPk pic.twitter.com/25FYrYld2S
— ActionNewsJax (@ActionNewsJax) September 19, 2014
The children’s ages ranged from three months to 10 years. The mother of the children was identified as Sarah Spirit, according to Action News Jacksonville.