Florida shooting: ex-US marine suspected of killing four, including a baby | Florida | The Guardian
Florida shooting: ex-US marine suspected of killing four, including a baby
Police allege Bryan Riley, 33, was dressed in body armour during a shooting rampage in Lakeland before surrendering
The scene of the alleged shootings in Lakeland, Florida, in which four people were killed, including a three-month-old baby. Photograph: Michael Wilson/AP
Reuters
Mon 6 Sep 2021 01.59 BST
A former US marine has shot and killed four people in Florida, including a woman and her three-month-old baby boy in her arms, before surrendering, acccording to police.
The shooter, alleged by police to be Bryan Riley, 33, a former US marine, also allegedly wounded an 11-year-old girl in a shootout in Lakeland near Tampa in central Florida on Sunday. The girl underwent surgery for seven gunshot injuries.
Riley, who had no connection to the victims, allegedly exchanged fire with police before giving up. He later tried to grab an officer’s gun while being treated in the hospital for his own gunshot wound, before being subdued again, Polk county sheriff Grady Judd told a news conference.
US Navy identifies five sailors who died in helicopter crash in Pacific Ocean
Read more
A veteran of the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Riley was working as a bodyguard and a security guard. His girlfriend of four years told investigators he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and occasional depression, Judd said.
About a week ago his mental health worsened and he told his girlfriend he had started speaking with God, Judd said.
“He said at one point to our detectives: ‘They begged for their lives and I killed them anyway’,” Judd said at a second news conference.
Riley also told sheriff’s deputies he was allegedly high on methamphetamine, Judd said.
Police allege the shooter first appeared randomly at the house where the shooting occurred on Saturday night, making nonsensical statements, but left by the time police responded.
He returned early on Sunday morning, killing a 40-year-old man, the 33-year-old mother and her baby boy, Judd said. In the home next door, he also killed the 62-year-old mother of the woman, the sheriff said.
“In addition to that, if he’s not evil enough, he shot and killed the family dog,” Judd said.
Deputies responding to reports of two volleys of automatic gunfire arrived to find the suspect unarmed outside, wearing camouflage and body armour. Riley then went back inside and “we heard another volley, and a woman scream and a baby whimper”, Judd said.
A gunfight ensued before he came out unarmed and was arrested.
“It would have been nice if he would have come out with a gun ... We would have shot him up a lot. But he didn’t because he was a coward,” Judd said. “When someone chooses to give up, we take them into custody peacefully.”
No surprise waging war everywhere their own marine also became crazy even shot baby. What a whacko society.
Florida shooting: ex-US marine suspected of killing four, including a baby
Police allege Bryan Riley, 33, was dressed in body armour during a shooting rampage in Lakeland before surrendering
The scene of the alleged shootings in Lakeland, Florida, in which four people were killed, including a three-month-old baby. Photograph: Michael Wilson/AP
Reuters
Mon 6 Sep 2021 01.59 BST
A former US marine has shot and killed four people in Florida, including a woman and her three-month-old baby boy in her arms, before surrendering, acccording to police.
The shooter, alleged by police to be Bryan Riley, 33, a former US marine, also allegedly wounded an 11-year-old girl in a shootout in Lakeland near Tampa in central Florida on Sunday. The girl underwent surgery for seven gunshot injuries.
Riley, who had no connection to the victims, allegedly exchanged fire with police before giving up. He later tried to grab an officer’s gun while being treated in the hospital for his own gunshot wound, before being subdued again, Polk county sheriff Grady Judd told a news conference.
US Navy identifies five sailors who died in helicopter crash in Pacific Ocean
Read more
A veteran of the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Riley was working as a bodyguard and a security guard. His girlfriend of four years told investigators he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and occasional depression, Judd said.
About a week ago his mental health worsened and he told his girlfriend he had started speaking with God, Judd said.
“He said at one point to our detectives: ‘They begged for their lives and I killed them anyway’,” Judd said at a second news conference.
Riley also told sheriff’s deputies he was allegedly high on methamphetamine, Judd said.
Police allege the shooter first appeared randomly at the house where the shooting occurred on Saturday night, making nonsensical statements, but left by the time police responded.
He returned early on Sunday morning, killing a 40-year-old man, the 33-year-old mother and her baby boy, Judd said. In the home next door, he also killed the 62-year-old mother of the woman, the sheriff said.
“In addition to that, if he’s not evil enough, he shot and killed the family dog,” Judd said.
Deputies responding to reports of two volleys of automatic gunfire arrived to find the suspect unarmed outside, wearing camouflage and body armour. Riley then went back inside and “we heard another volley, and a woman scream and a baby whimper”, Judd said.
A gunfight ensued before he came out unarmed and was arrested.
“It would have been nice if he would have come out with a gun ... We would have shot him up a lot. But he didn’t because he was a coward,” Judd said. “When someone chooses to give up, we take them into custody peacefully.”
No surprise waging war everywhere their own marine also became crazy even shot baby. What a whacko society.
.
