Paulding Co. deputy Sam Driskell 1 of 4 dead in apparent murder-suicide

Paulding County sheriff's deputies went to the home of Cpl. Sammy Driskell Tuesday to check on him after he didn't show up for court.  What they found was their colleague shot to death, along with three of his family members.

"When deputies arrived on scene, they tried to make contact with the occupants of the residence, and at that point, they were unable to get anyone to come to the door," said Cpl. Ashley Henson, a spokesman for the Paulding County Sheriff's Office.

"They saw what they thought was a person in distress inside the residence," Henson added. "The deputies at that point forced entry inside the residence, and when they entered, they located four individuals that were deceased."

Driskell, 52, was shot in the head while asleep, according to Paulding County Sheriff Gary Gulledge.

Gulledge said Driskell was shot and killed by his stepson Felix Almonte, 21.  An agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigations said Almonte shot Driskell first. He then shot and killed his mother Muachin, 36, and the couple's biological daughter Carolyn, 12, before he tued the gun on himself, agents said.

Daisy Rychlik is a schoolmate of Carolyn Driskell at Austin Middle School. She told reporters that she was worried because Carolyn didn't show up for school on the first day back from winter break.

"Every time I get on the bus she is always there," Daisy said.  "This time she wasn't, and I knew something was up."

Authorities said they believe the shooting occurred Monday night.

A woman who said her ex-husband, who lives next door, heard multiple "muffled" shots between 10 and 11 p.m.

Driskell worked with the Paulding County Sheriff's Office for nearly 10 years, mainly in the Crimes Against Children unit, and has received numerous service awards.

The sheriff said that there was simply no reason for the shooting.

"All of my guys are heartbroken," Gulledge said. "We've lost one of the best guys we've ever had."

The home on the 7400 block of Ridge Road is surrounding by other family members who live nearby. Derek Morris, Driskell's first cousin, said he can hardly believe what happened.

"It is chaos," Morris said. "They lost an outstanding man, a very good police detective, a very good individual that represented Paulding County, to the utmost.  He was a good neighbor, good friend, glad he was part of my family. He was a good man all the way around."

Authorities said that Driskell met his wife, who was from the Dominican Republic, while in the military.

Gulledge said Driskell was having some issues with his stepson, but family and friends who spoke with reporters said they didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.