A 44-year-old father in Florida tragically shot his 5-year-old son before taking his own life instead of returning the child to his mother for the Thanksgiving holiday.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office was alerted by the boy’s mother, who was concerned when she couldn’t make contact with her son or his father at the father’s residence in Lutz around 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Deputies discovered no immediate red flags, despite finding the father’s vehicle parked in the driveway.
The mother entered the home herself just before 10 a.m. — about two hours after deputies left the first time — and found the bodies.
Deputies returned to the scene 15 minutes later and confirmed the deaths.
Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer expressed the devastating nature of the situation, stating, “This is a horrible, horrible scene. Not only for the mother and the family of that child as they have to go through the holiday season knowing that they’re missing this family member, but it’s also a horrible scene for the deputies that responded here today,” as reported by WPEC.
Maurer didn’t say why deputies didn’t enter the home themselves and left that to the now distraught mother.
Detectives have found no notes inside the home but have several electronic devices to go through.
He said the parents had been separated for about a year.
A victim specialist has been assigned to work with the family.
No names were released.
