BELL, Florida: A man killed six of his grandchildren, his adult daughter and himself in a shooting at a home in a small town in North Florida on Thursday, a sheriff said.
Gilchrist County Sheriff Robert Schultz at a news conference identified the man as 51-year-old Don Spirit.
He said the children ranged in age from 3 months to 10 years old. He would not say if the woman killed was the mother of any of the children.
Schultz said a deputy who arrived on a report of a shooting Thursday afternoon made contact with Spirit who then committed suicide. Authorities then found the other seven bodies.
Schultz said Spirit was the only suspect and that some people were left alive at the home. Schultz also said Spirit had a criminal history.
He would not identify those killed because relatives hadn't all been notified. He also wouldn't say what weapons was used and didn't have a motive.
“There are certain things in life you can explain. And there are certain things you cannot explain. This is something I cannot explain,” Schultz told The Gainesville Sun.
A photo on The Sun's website shows several police vehicles on a rural road. A sheriff's deputy was keeping people away behind police tape.
Bell is a town of just 350 people about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of Gainesville.
