It has been revealed that the gunman behind a mass shooting Thursday in Florida previously killed his son in a hunting accident and reportedly suffered mental health problems.
Grandfather Don Spirit, 51, reportedly gunned down his adult daughter and her six children inside his Bell home, Gilchrist County Sheriff Robert Schultz said in a Thursday evening press conference. Local media is reporting the other adult victim is 28-year-old Sarah Spirit, but he declined to confirm.
The deceased children are reported by WESH to be: Kaleb Kuhlmann, 11, Kylie Kuhlmann, 9, Johnathon Kuhlmann, 8, Destiny Stewart, 5, Brandon Stewart, 4, and Alanna Stewart, 3 months. "There's still a lot of unanswered questions.
There's going to be questions that we're never going to get answered," said Schultz.
Donald Spirit was previously convicted in a felony drug case and also pleaded guilty to a gun possession charge after accidentally killing his eight-year-old son in a hunting accident, authorities said.
It also appears that the grandfather suffered from mental health problems.
Donald Spirit revealed to the paper during the subsequent trial that he suffered from mental health problems and also had concerns his medication was insufficient.
"The medication, I've tried it. It ain't working," Spirit told the Sentinel during a 2003 interview. "The one medicine I have is my family."
That kind of makes you wonder if that first shooting death was indeed an accident, or a practice run for things to come.
Well there is certainly no way to chalk this latest murder to an accidental shooting:
First responders found a horrific scene when they arrived: Seven dead bodies strewn "all over the property," according to Schultz.
"I haven't handled something like this at all, to say that this county, this community is not going to be devastated by this... There are certain things in life you can explain, and there are some things you can't," Schultz lamented, looking down as if trying to come to grips with the carnage.
Simply put this individual should NEVER have had access to a firearm, but because of this country's "gun culture" he clearly did not have much difficulty obtaining one. Or as it turns out more than one.
And because of those lax gun laws there are now six innocent children who are no longer among the living.
No words.
ReplyDeleteActually, I take that back. I do have words. Two of them. FUCK YOU to the NRA, the nutters like Sarah Palin who make gun ownership a pink punchline, and everyone else who contributed to the kind of society where a mentally ill man who has already shot an eight year old can obtain guns and blow away six babies and their mother. One of the cops on the scene said the blast nearly "cut the baby in two".
DeleteSo yes, I say FUCK YOU to all who contributed to this environment, and hope so hard that those sweet babies felt no pain...while knowing that is almost certainly not the case. The older children apparently tried to run, and he chased them down and shot them all over his property like so many animals.
I really hate this world sometimes. Kaleb, Kylie, Jonathon, Destiny, Brandon, and tiny 13 week old Alana: the world failed you and I am so sorry.
I'm right with you Nyah
DeleteHe looks like Jeb Bush. One report said there were other people at the trailer home, but were not shot. Why innocent kids and a baby? Where is the grandmother, she must be devastated.
ReplyDeleteWe suer haven't heard much from LaPierre lately, what with cops killing unarmed men, families being murdered with his money makers, and on and on. Is he hiding? I mean, this is what they know will happen when they deny citizens the right to have gun laws. People, innocent people, are dying. And all because the NRA and the gunmakers put profit over people...just like the GOP and the Kochs and the rest. Please stop calling yourselves Christians. You are barely even human.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, Wayne LaPierre, GUNS kill people. It is their only purpose.
Yay! NRA! This is what you want? Suck it up, and enjoy it!. The next massacre will be along shortly for your enjoyment.
ReplyDeleteWe really really really could use a Team NRA movie--in the spirit of Team America.
DeleteSo, our society, and our culture and our laws and our lawmakers glorify guns and gunmakers. That's what makes the US "exceptional."
ReplyDeleteAnd humans be damned.
The NRA in FL just endorsed Gov. Rick Scott for re-election.
ReplyDeleteRick Scott and AG Pam Bondi are OK with violating 4rth amendment rights ("Pee in a Cup" laws), and whichever amendment denying same-sex marriage would go under, but the 2nd? Why is the Second Amendment seemingly SOOOOOOO much more important than the others?
In FL, the legislature got passed the following things:
-Blind people being allowed to conceal carry
-Penalizing doctors for asking about guns in the home
And of course we already know about the Stand Your Ground laws.
Rick Scott and Pam Bondi have actively hindered implementation of Obamacare and expansion of Medicaid which might have made a difference in this case, and have certainly done nothing to help solve the problem.
Sorry this is bit rambling. I'll stop. For now.
MarvinM
Wow! Our twice felon governor notwithstanding, I can't imagine living in a red state. I may be in that 25% that would consider seceding- all of New England to become "New Canada"
DeleteI've been in Europe the last 4 weeks and it seems like every week the a report of another horrifying shooting in the US. Most people over there just cannot understand how people put up with this. And how peopel who live in constant fear and need this many guns to "protect themselves" cab call themselves free.
ReplyDeleteWow, 28 years old and 6 kids, one age 11? Seems to me there were serious problems in this family, not just Grandpa.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was 28 I had 4 kids, first at 18. All planned and we've never lived on govt funds.
DeleteDon't judge.
I don't care if you lived on Government Funds or not, the world is a very crowded place and I'm a staunch advocate of Zero Population Growth (ZPG). Breed to replace only yourself and your mate. Any further child production past two is irresponsible in terms of resource usage and stress on society.
DeleteThere were some serious problems in the family; the grandfather was 51, his daughter was 28, and the oldest of her 6 kids was 11. The kids have different last names. There's a murdered 8-year-old boy--was he the brother of the mother-of-the-kids, or from a different relationship of the fathers?
ReplyDeleteThis family sounds a lot like the Palins.
lol It sounds nothing like the Palins, but thanks for showing your douche side this Saturday afternoon.
DeleteShe has TWO grandkids, which is less than many her age.
12:49 PayMe has at least 3 illigitimate grandkids just from her oldest daughter. At least the murdered mother did not hide HER kids, they all had names.
DeleteHe was 51 yr old. Had SIX grandkids.
ReplyDeleteDamn.
I don't care how old he was, how many kids/grandkids he had, none of them deserved the fruits of "gun culture" from a Coward who may or may not have had mental illness. What happened to personal responsibility? IF one pill or regimen didn't work, then go to your doctor and find one that does, killing innocents does nothing.
ReplyDeleteThe NRA won't dare chime in, they're as full of hate and cowardice as LaPierre.