Mother Gunned Down In Front Of 5-Year-Old In Pasco; Father Kills Self

LAND O' LAKES, FL — The Pasco County Sheriff's Office is investigating the murder-suicide of a mother and father in the Marchmont Boulevard area of Land O' Lakes and their 5-year-old daughter is being treated for a gunshot wound.

Deputies received a call just after 8:15 p.m. Tuesday. A witness, who was providing child care for the family, told deputies that a man began shooting at a woman and her 5-year-old child, who were walking the babysitter to her car, Sheriff Chris Nocco said during a news conference.

Deputies arrived to find the woman, who suffered gunshot wounds, on the front lawn. Deputies took her to safety, but she died from her wounds.

The 5-year-old girl, who was also shot, ran into the house and the shooter, who was the child's father, followed her inside, Nocco said. The child went to her bedroom and the father went to the master bathroom of the house, where he shot himself.

According to Nocco, the events leading up to the murder-suicide began in August when the father was arrested for domestic violence. Nocco said the mother promptly got a domestic violence injunction to keep the father away from their child.

On Tuesday night, the babysitter was caring for the little girl when the mother arrived home. The mother and child walked the babysitter to her car and, as the babysitter was backing out of the driveway, she saw a man running toward the mother and child. The man began firing a gun at them, Nocco said. The babysitter immediately called 911.

Nocco said the babysitter could see the mother had been shot, but she did not know the child had been shot, as well.

When deputies arrived at the house, they called out and the child emerged from the house. "She told them, 'My Daddy's upstairs. He's inside the master bathroom and I heard a big bang,'" Nocco said.

Deputies realized at that point that the little girl had been shot.

Nocco said the child was treated at the hospital, and sheriff's victims' advocates and child investigative unit members were with her.

"Our community is not unlike many others where we're dealing with a mental health crisis. And at the same time we're dealing with the scourge of domestic violence that plagues our community like any other community," Nocco said. "So far today, we've had eight suicide calls, two ending in deaths. Now we're dealing with a 5-year-old girl who no longer has a mother or a father, and that's a tragedy and we're praying for her."

For anyone contemplating suicide or who is a victim of domestic violence, the sheriff's office has compiled a list of community resources here. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached by calling 988. Additional mental health and suicide prevention resources are available online.