Officials say that three people have died in what appears to be a murder-suicide in Manatee County (via WFLA).
According to sheriff's officials, the incident happened just after 10 p.m. on Sunday night in a subdivision where a 76-year-old woman said she heard her son, James Bennett, and his 35-year-old wife, Silvana Bennett, arguing before hearing gunfire. The woman said she then went to check on the situation and found the pair dead from gunshot wounds. Silvana Bennett's 16-year-old daughter, Andrea Barderena-Rojas, was also shot and later died after paramedics were unable to save her.
That news comes on the same morning when Pasco County Sheriff officials said that Hillsborough County deputy Kirk Keithley shot and killed his 33-year-old wife before turning the gun on himself. This murder-suicide happened around midnight in Land O' Lakes, and officials said that the couple's 14-year-old son ran from the house to alert officials.
"A 14-year-old ran from the house. While he was running, he called 911 and said there was an argument and that he heard a shot fired from within the house," Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said. Deputies found three more children — all under the age of 14 — safe inside.
Keithley had worked as a patrol deputy at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office for nine years and three months. He was previously with the St. Petersburg Police Department from 2003 to 2009.
The two incidents appear to be completely unrelated.
This article appears in Sep 20-27, 2018.