HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A 44-year-old father shot and killed his 5-year-old son before turning the gun on himself at a home the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office described as a "horrible, tragic scene."
According to HCSO, the boy's mother came to her husband's home to pick up the child around 7:30 a.m. Friday.
The couple had been separated for a year.
She called deputies and told them no one answered the door. Deputies arrived at the home.
"They found the vehicle in the driveway. The door was locked. They knocked, announced, didn’t notice any nefarious activity didn’t see any signs of foul play," said Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer.
HCSO said the mother returned to the home at 9:30 a.m. and went into the home. Once inside, deputies said she discovered the bodies of her 5-year-old son and her 44-year-old husband.
The sheriff's office said the father shot and killed the child before turning the gun on himself.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said no note or letter was initially found at the house on the 17000 block of Cranbrook Drive. However, they have obtained a search warrant and are investigating the home further.
Pamela Oliva said she has lived next to the boy's father for 18 years. She described him as "friendly."
"It's casually neighborly type things. It's not a friendship where we hung out or anything, always helped people if they needed help, always the neighbor that waves to you and stops to say hi when he sees you," she said.
"My heart goes out to the mother more than anybody because I couldn’t imagine losing one of my children," said Pamela Oliva, a neighbor.
HCSO said the information is all part of the preliminary investigation.
Watch the full HCSO briefing from the scene below.
The sheriff's office encourages anyone who needs help to call the Spring of Tampa Bay.
"As we enter the holiday season, please if you are a victim of domestic violence or have domestic violence issues, please notify the Spring of Tampa Bay, call 911, law enforcement," said Chief Deputy Maurer.
The Spring of Tampa Bay's 24-HOUR CRISIS HOTLINE: CALL / TEXT (813) 247-SAFE (7233) • TTY: (813) 248-1050
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