HILLIARD, Fla. — Neighbors in Hilliard are left shocked and shaken after the Nassau County Sheriff’s office says 34-year-old Christopher Rowell took the life of three family members before turning the gun on himself Thursday night – with a five-year-old girl escaping out the home’s front door.
Watch Sheriff Leeper detail the incident:
“We moved out here five years ago to get away from that,” one neighbor named Asia – who lives on the next street over – told Action News Jax Friday. “I’ve always thought of Hilliard and Nassau County as a safer place to be. And I couldn’t imagine that something like that would happen right next door to our house.”
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Although Asia said the neighborhood is typically a quiet community, she also said there were warning signs.
Neighbors told Action News Jax Rowell exhibited unusual behavior and had advised their children to avoid him.
Asia and other neighbors reported seeing Rowell point a gun at another neighborhood child on July 4th. The Nassau County Sheriff’s office confirmed with Action News Jax that they responded to a call similar to what neighbors described, but never found a gun or any evidence of the allegations.
Neighbors are now rallying around the young survivor, who is staying with family members.
“That was way too much to be on a 5-year-old’s shoulders,” Lorilyn Slaughter said. “The only thing I can do is pray for her.”
Asia said she hopes the girl gets the peace she deserves, and that the victims are forever remembered.
“I hope that in the reporting on this instance, the focus is on the victims and not this monster,” Asia said. “Cus this guy doesn’t deserve any notoriety at all.”
Late Friday evening, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office identified the women killed:
- Marissa Leara Rowell, 32
- Sandra Gayle Fogarty, 71
- and Alisha Lael Fogarty, 33
A motive for the shooting has not yet been publicly identified.
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