Crestview stunned by triple homicide
By ABRAHAM GALVAN 315-4445| @AbrahamGnwfdn agalvan@nwfdailynews.com
Posted Jan. 23, 2016 at 2:44 PM Updated Jan 24, 2016 at 4:51 PM
CRESTVIEW, FL
While official information remains sketchy, residents of the Sandy Ridge subdivision are in the midst of a triple-homicide investigation that stunned the Hub City on Saturday.
According to the Crestview Police Department, officers responded to a shots fired call at approximately 10:45 a.m. Saturday in the 180 block of Peoria Boulevard south of P.J. Adams Parkway. When they arrived, three people were found dead and one seriously injured — all from apparent gunshot wounds.
PHOTOS: View photos from the scene >>
Crestview Police Chief Tony Taylor said the injured shooting victim was taken by medical helicopter to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. As of Saturday night, the hospital had released no information about that person's condition.
Taylor told the Daily News that the body of one of the victims was found in the street. He also confirmed that person was a resident of the subdivision.
The age and sex of all the people involved in the shooting had not been released as the investigation continued into Saturday night.
Speaking directly about social media reports that the incident involved some sort of domestic situation and was a triple homicide-suicide attempt, Taylor only offered, “Anything else I could tell you right now would be pure speculation. We’re going to let the evidence talk to us to figure out what happened.”
Taylor added: “It appears everybody that was involved in the incident this morning is accounted for, so there’s absolutely no risk to the community at this time.”
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrived at the scene in mid-afternoon to process evidence. Okaloosa County sheriff’s deputies also were present.
According to Dee Thompson, executive director of the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society, another victim in the shooting was the family’s Weimaraner dog.
PAWS animal control officer K. Schoeneman was called to the scene and took the Weimaraner to the Emergency Veterinary Clinic in Niceville, where it was in critical condition and being stabilized before surgery.
Schoeneman reported it appeared the dog had been shot three times. The animal will require surgery to its leg and jaw, plus any procedures related to internal injuries.
“He said from looking at the injuries, and this is strictly speculation, but from the injuries involved, (Schoeneman) said the dog may have been trying to protect someone,” Thompson said. “At this point, that’s speculation, but it appears that way.”
Thompson added two Maltese dogs were not injured in the shooting and were being cared for at PAWS.
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