In a devastating case that has shaken a small Florida town, a courageous 5-year-old girl managed to escape a violent domestic shooting, alerting neighbors and ultimately guiding police to a home where three women had been fatally shot and the suspected gunman was critically wounded.
According to Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper, the chilling incident unfolded just after 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 25, at a residence on West 12th Avenue in Hilliard, Florida, a quiet community located about 30 miles north of Jacksonville.
Deputies responded to a 911 call reporting a possible shooting at the address. Upon arrival, they attempted to make contact with someone inside but received no response. When officers discovered the front door was unlocked, they entered the home, and encountered a gruesome scene.
“As the door was open, they observed a female on the floor between the living room and dining room lying in blood,” Sheriff Leeper recounted at a Friday press conference.
A few steps further in, deputies found a man lying in a pool of blood in the living room. An SKS-style 7.62-caliber assault rifle was found next to his body, authorities said.
Continuing their sweep of the property, officers found a second woman in the hallway bathroom, with blood and brain matter splattered across the walls and floor. A third woman was discovered in a bedroom across from the bathroom, also lying in a pool of blood.
The three women were pronounced dead at the scene. However, the male suspect, identified as Christopher Bobby Rowell, 34, was still breathing. Authorities say he had a “slight pulse” and was airlifted to a Jacksonville hospital, where he was declared “clinically deceased” the following day. His organs were set to be harvested.
Amid the horrific violence, a 5-year-old girl inside the home managed to flee to a neighbor’s house, ultimately triggering the emergency response.
“The child, who was inside the residence at the time of the shooting, came to their house, banging on the door and stated the suspect had killed others inside the home,” Leeper shared.
The brave child later described what she experienced. She was in the back room when the first gunshot rang out. As she cautiously approached the hallway, she saw one woman lying motionless between the living and dining areas.
“Another female grabbed her, put her in the bathroom,” Leeper said. “When that individual was shot, she got blood splatter on her.”
Despite being visibly traumatized, the sheriff praised the child’s strength, calling her “very strong” and “very brave.” The girl is now in the care of extended family members and remains physically unharmed.
“If you look at a positive with something like this, this tragic, it’s that the child was not injured, thank God,” Leeper said. “And the shooter had the courage to shoot himself.”
“It’s heartbreaking and totally, totally was unnecessary,” he added.
Authorities believe the shooting was rooted in a domestic violence situation, though the exact circumstances remain under investigation. All the victims were adult women related to the suspect, officials confirmed.
Local residents expressed disbelief and sorrow following the tragic discovery. One neighbor, identified only as Gray, shared that her home was struck by a stray bullet.
“It was crazy to think about,” she told WTLV. “You just don’t hear about this kind of stuff in Hilliard.”
“I knew that it hit,” Gray added. “I just didn’t know where, and we knew it didn’t come inside; we were thankful for that.”
