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6 children, 2 adults dead in mass shooting

Don Spirit

BELL, Fla. — A man who spent time in prison a decade ago for the shooting death of his young son killed six of his grandchildren, including an infant, his adult daughter and himself in a rampage at a home where authorities in the small Florida town say they had been called to in the past.

The shooter, 51-year-old Don Spirit, called 911 Thursday afternoon to say he might harm himself or others, Gilchrist County Sheriff Robert Schultz said at a news conference. When a deputy arrived, Spirit committed suicide and authorities then found the seven gunshot victims “all over on the property,” Schultz said.

Schultz did not say if slain 28-year-old Sarah Lorraine Spirit was the mother of any of the two boys and four girls, some of whom spent a lot of time at the rural home.

At a later news conference, Schultz released the names of the victims. In addition to Sarah Spirit, they were: Kaleb Kuhlmann, 11; Kylie Kuhlmann, 9; Johnathon Kuhlmann, 8; Destiny Stewart, 5; Brandon Stewart, 4; and Alanna Stewart, who was born in June.

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