Fla. town stunned after mother, 6 children killed

BELL, Fla. — As Florida police examined why a 51-year-old felon shot his daughter and her six children to death before killing himself, residents of their small town grieved the loss of the children.

Investigators shared few details from the taped-off crime scene, a house at the end of a dirt road in the woods. Don Spirit on Thursday summoned authorities there with a 911 emergency call before he killed himself.

Found dead were his daughter, Sarah Spirit, 28, and his six grandchildren, who ranged in ages from 11 years to 3 months.

Despite the family’s well-known troubles, authorities and neighbors said the killings were a total shock to Bell, a town of fewer than 500 residents.

More than two dozen counselors were dispatched to Bell Elementary School, which Spirit’s grandchildren had attended, to talk with students about the killings.

The children had told friends they were planning a trip to a Georgia theme park on Friday, said Rick Edwards, 57, a carpenter who lives on the same street.

“They were really happy about that,” said Edwards, whose 12-year-old grandson rode their school bus.

Sarah Spirit and her children recently had moved in with her father, said Kristina Ritchey, 23, whose 4-year-old was among their playmates. Everything seemed normal last week when she saw the family at school.

“Sarah was at school brushing their hair, walking with them and trying to get them into the school on time,” Ritchey said.

Gilchrist County Sheriff Bobby Schultz said he had no idea what motivated the killings. He said Don Spirit appeared to have acted alone and did not possess a firearm legally.

Schultz said police had been called numerous times to Spirit’s home near Bell, a town tucked amid horse and cow pastures 35 miles (56 km) west of Gainesville.

In 2008, Sarah Spirit petitioned for domestic violence protection from her father, court records show. She told the court he had a violent temper and she was scared of him. The petition was dismissed after she failed to show up for a hearing.

She was placed on probation earlier this year after facing charges of grand theft, public records show.

Don Spirit’s criminal history included convictions for drug and illegal weapons possession, battery and depriving a child of food and shelter, records showed.

In 2001, Spirit fatally shot his young son in the head while cleaning the barrel of his rifle on a hunting trip, which was deemed an accident, local media reported.

Additional reporting by David Adams and Curtis Skinner.