Don Spirit murders daughter, 6 grandkids and self in grisly Florida murder suicide
A Florida man shot and killed his daughter and six grandchildren Thursday afternoon in north Florida in what authorities have labelled a murder-suicide.
Don Spirit, 51, has been identified by Gilchrist County Sheriff Robert Schultz as the shooter. The sheriff told reporters the children ranged in age from 3 months to 10 years. He immediately didn’t name the daughter or the grandchildren because not every relative had been notified of their deaths, but they have now been identified:
Sarah Lorraine Spirit, 28, and her daughters Alanna Stewart, 2½ months, Brandon Stewart, 4, Destiny Stewart, 5, and Kylie Kuhlmann, 9, and sons Johnathon Kuhlmann, 8, and Kaleb Kuhlmann, 11. “This is something you can’t explain,” Schultz said at a press conference. “I will continue to ask everybody to pray for the families.”
Authorities found the seven victims “all over on the property” after responding to Spirit’s 911 call around 4 p.m. Thursday. He killed himself when the deputy arrived to the scene.
Spirit already had a lengthy criminal record stretching back 22 years, according to Florida corrections records. Deputies noted that they have responded to calls from the home, owned by Spirit: officers have “been out to that residence on numerous law enforcement occasions” with Schultz adding that the shooter had a long criminal history.
Reports from 2003 show that one charge, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, came after he pleaded guilty to accidentally shooting and killing his 8-year-old son while they were out hunting.
He was sentenced to three years in prison. Spirit was also convicted of depriving a child of food and shelter, battery, and possession of drug paraphernalia between 1992 and 1995.
The sheriff wouldn’t disclose what kind of firearm was used.