7 dead in suspected murder-suicide spanning 2 Florida counties
Seven people were killed in a suspected murder-suicide spanning two Florida counties, including five people found at a home in Sarasota, according to officials and local media reports. Two other victims were found at a residence in Fort Lauderdale.
The incident in Sarasota began at about 12:24 p.m. on Tuesday when deputies were dispatched to a home in the Amberlea neighborhood, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. A 911 caller reported that a man had been shot in the front yard.
Deputies arrived within minutes and discovered an adult man in the yard while neighbors were performing CPR. He was pronounced dead shortly after emergency crews arrived.
Upon entering the home, deputies found four additional adults dead inside, including two women and two men.
The victims were identified as Olga Greinert, 49; Florita Stolyar, 66; Anatoly Ioffe, 61; and Yaroslav Blyudoy, 39. The suspect, 51-year-old Russell Kot, was also found dead inside the residence from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Detectives later linked the scene to a double homicide being investigated by the Fort Lauderdale Police Department.
Surveillance footage captured the suspect’s vehicle traveling north through Punta Gorda prior to the killings in Sarasota.
Video from the Sarasota neighborhood showed the suspect entering the area at 11:01 a.m., followed by the sound of gunfire captured on a neighbor’s camera.
The male victim found in the yard arrived about 37 minutes later and was shot as he approached the front door, according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities said the suspect had previously been in a romantic relationship with one of the victims in Fort Lauderdale. While the victims in both cities were connected, a specific motive has not yet been determined.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
