Sheriff: Florida man Don Spirit killed 6 of his grandchildren, his daughter and self in murder suicide

Mike Gallagher

Sep 18, 2014 - 23:17

Sep 18, 2014 - 23:46

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Sheriff: Florida man Don Spirit killed 6 of his grandchildren, his daughter and self in murder suicide

Victim: Sarah Spirit, 28, (right) and her six children are believed to have been shot by her father Don (left) at his home in Bell, northern Florida

Florida authorities say a convicted criminal killed six of his grandchildren, his adult daughter and himself at a home in a small town in North Florida.

Gilchrist County Sheriff Robert Schultz at a news conference identified the man as 51-year-old Don Spirit. He says the children ranged in age from 3 months to 10 years old.

Schultz says a deputy who arrived on a report of a shooting Thursday made contact with Spirit who later committed suicide.

He says Spirit is the only suspect and that some people were left alive at the home.

A photo on the Gainesville 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 west of Gainesville.