LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – An intimate vigil was held at St. Thomas Episcopal Church on Wednesday evening to honor the life of Master Deputy Bradley Link and all first responders in Lake County.
Community members gathered to pay their respects to Master Deputy Bradley Link, as well as injured deputies Harold Howell and Stefano Gargano. Each has a GoFundMe page that continues to receive donations.
“We believe in God. Praying and asking God to take us through this grieving process,” said Chaplain Rev. Doctor Dorthy Hooks.
Others — like Gail Carlson, who didn’t know Master Deputy Link personally — also felt compelled to attend.
“The day I heard what had happened, for the first two hours of that day, I could hardly think of anything else, and when I found out we were having this prayer vigil, it was just so, I’ve got to go. I’ve got to get there,” Carlson said.
Master Deputy Sheriff Bradley Michael Link, Deputy First Class Stefano Gargano and Master Deputy Sheriff Harold Howell (left to right) (Lake County Sheriff’s Office)
Investigators said Julie Sulpizio, 48, called 911 to lure officers to her home, where her husband and two daughters awaited with multiple firearms. The trio were killed after they shot the deputies. Meanwhile, Sulpizio is being charged with first-degree murder.
“I would say just hold on to God. God is the answer. He is the one who is going to help them get through this,” Hooks said.
Master Deputy Link’s funeral services are scheduled for Saturday. St. Thomas Episcopal Church will continue to offer counseling to anyone in need.
LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – The identities of the three people who were found dead in the ambush attack shooting that killed a Lake County deputy and injured two other deputies were released by sheriff’s office officials on Sunday.
Officials identified the three as 49-year-old Michael Sulpizio, 23-year-old Savannah Sulpizio and 22-year-old Cheyenne Sulpizio who were all found inside the home or in the crime scene area.
The shooting happened in the area of County Road 439, near Brookside Drive, north of State Road 44. According to Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell, the incident began around 8 p.m. when deputies — while responding to a call off Brookside Drive — were alerted to a problem at a home several doors down. Deputies went to that home and saw a door kicked in, Grinnell said.
“When the deputies entered the home there was a lot of gunfire,” Grinnell said. “One of the deputies was struck. The backup deputy that was there with him was able to retreat out of the home. The first deputy was trapped inside of the home.”
On Saturday, Lake County Lt. John Harrell said once the deputies arrived, the primary aggressor was a woman who lived in the house where the shooting took place.
“Deputies quelled that disturbance. They got the party separated and this lady then sent them to this house under the guise of conducting well-being check. She said something to the effect that you need to go down to this house and check on the people,” Harrell said. “So the deputies went down to this house and it appeared that the house had been burglarized.”
Harrell said the deputies thought a burglary was in progress at the home and ordered the people inside to come out. When they didn’t, the deputies entered and were met with “heavy, heavy gunfire.”
One of the deputies — identified Saturday as Bradley Michael Link, 28 — was shot and unable to retreat from the home. Link died from his injuries, Grinnell said.
Another deputy, identified as 28-year-old Deputy First Class Stefano Gargano was shot in the abdomen area several times and under the arm. Sheriff’s office officials said Gargano underwent surgery overnight and had a second surgery on Saturday afternoon. A third surgery is scheduled for Monday, officials said. His condition was last listed as critical.
Deputy First Class Stefano Gargano (Lake County Sheriff’s Office)
The third deputy was struck in the shoulder and is stable. He was identified as 41-year-old Master Deputy Sheriff Harold Howell who was hired at the sheriff’s office in 2005. Howell has served as a K9 deputy since 2011, officials said.
Master Deputy Sheriff Harold Howell, (Lake County Sheriff’s Office)
“There were four people who lived at home as a family. She and her husband, and then there were two daughters or two adopted daughters is my understanding,” Harrell said. “What our detectives have found throughout the course of this investigation at this point is that this has been described as almost a bunker style dwelling. They had stockpiled firearms ammunition, MREs, hand goods non-perishable food items.”
A GoFundMe has been set up for Master Deputy Link’s wife and family to help with funeral expenses. If you’d like to donate, it can be found here.
Family members started a GoFundMe to help with Deputy First Class Gargano’s medical expenses. It can be found here.
A GoFundMe has been established to help support Master Deputy Howell and his family. It can be found here.
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LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – Reactions are pouring in after a shooting Friday night in the Eustis area that killed a Lake County sheriff’s deputy and left another two deputies shot.
The shooting happened in the area of County Road 439, near Brookside Drive, north of State Road 44. According to Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell, the incident began around 8 p.m. when deputies — while responding to a call off Brookside Drive — were alerted to a problem at a home several doors down. Deputies went to that home and saw a door kicked in, Grinnell said.
“When the deputies entered the home there was a lot of gunfire,” Grinnell said. “One of the deputies was struck. The backup deputy that was there with him was able to retreat out of the home. The first deputy was trapped inside of the home.”
Three deputies were shot and taken to area hospitals. One was sent to AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares while the other two were taken to HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital in Sanford.
One of the deputies — identified Saturday as Bradley Michael Link, 28 — died from his injuries, Grinnell said.
Another deputy, identified as 28-year-old Deputy First Class Stefano Gargano was shot in the abdomen area several times and under the arm. Sheriff’s office officials said Gargano underwent surgery overnight and was scheduled for a second surgery on Saturday afternoon. His condition was last listed as critical.
Deputy First Class Stefano Gargano (Lake County Sheriff’s Office)
The third deputy was struck in the shoulder and is stable. He was identified as 41-year-old Master Deputy Sheriff Harold Howell who was hired at the sheriff’s office in 2005. Howell has served as a K9 deputy since 2011, officials said.
Master Deputy Sheriff Harold Howell, (Lake County Sheriff’s Office)
Grinnell also said two people inside the home were deceased and that another person was transported to a hospital.
Come Saturday afternoon, an array of statements about the shooting had been made by various state and local officials, as well as governmental bodies and other entities.
Ann and I are heartbroken to hear about the loss of a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy and injury of two others. I just spoke with the Sheriff and told him my family along with every Floridian is keeping the Lake County Sherriff’s Office, the victims and their families in our… https://t.co/5gH0Q2zuL8
Heartbreaking news out of Lake County. Our deepest condolences and prayers are with the fallen deputy’s family and the @LakeCountySO during this extremely difficult time.” Praying for a full recovery for the other two deputies that were injured tonight. 🙏🏾
FHP sends our deepest sympathies and love to @LakeCountySO, Sheriff Peyton Grinnell, friends, family, and the Lake County Community as they process the loss of one of their own.
We send our prayers for the quick recovery of their two deputies, also injured during the senseless… pic.twitter.com/S6p6ZtabVk
Three @LakeCountySO Deputies were ambushed last night. One died and two others were injured. I am heartbroken over this terrible attack on these Florida heroes. We are offering our prayers and the full support of the Attorney General’s Office to Sheriff Grinnell, the Lake County…
“Our hearts go out to the family, friends and Lake County Sheriff’s Office after the tragic death of a deputy last night. We pray for them and for a speedy recovery for those injured.” FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass pic.twitter.com/0rSsyJ61ui
EUSTIS, Fla. – Three deputies were shot and one was killed while investigating an incident in the Eustis area of Lake County Friday night.
The shooting happened in the area of County Road 439, near Brookside Drive, north of State Road 44. Lake County Commissioner Sean Parks tells News 6′s Justin Warmoth that the deputies were responding to a domestic violence incident.
Three deputies were shot and taken to area hospitals. One was sent to AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares while the other two were taken to HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital in Sanford.
One of the deputies died from his injuries, according to Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell. Another deputy was shot in the abdomen area several times and under the arm, underwent surgery and is in serious critical condition.
The third deputy was struck in the shoulder and is stable.
Grinnell said the incident began at 8 p.m. when deputies responded to a call off Brookside Drive. While there they were alerted to a problem at a home a few doors down.
Deputies went to that home, Grinnell said, and saw a door kicked in.
“When the deputies entered the home there was a lot of gunfire,” Grinnell said. “Where one of the deputies was struck. The backup deputy that was there with him was able to retreat out of the home. The first deputy was trapped inside of the home.”
Grinnell said more deputies responded and formed a rescue team to go back inside the home, where they faced more gunfire. They were able to retreat. The SWAT Team was mobilized.
The names of the deputies were not released. The deputy who was trapped in the home is the one who passed away. Grinnell said he had been with the agency for sometime, and started out as a young explorer.
“It’s just horrific when you have one of your own inside of a home and you can’t get to him,” Grinnell said.
Grinnell also said two people inside the home were deceased, and another person was transported to a hospital.
People in the community were told to stay in their homes and spent hours into the night not knowing what was happening.
Jim Ironhorse, who lives in the neighborhood, said it was a very rural area, on the southern edge of the Ocala National Forest. He said he heard unusual gunfire in the area around 8 or 9 p.m.
“We always hear gunfire out here but this was unusual, it was 9 mm followed by fully automatic weapons, and quite a few of them,” Ironhorse told News 6. “Then the cops started showing up and they were just all over the place.”
News 6′s Catherine Silver confirms the first call for help from deputies came in at 9:05 p.m. The first deputy was transported to the hospital in Sanford at 9:24 p.m., the second was transported at 9:35 p.m.
HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital is a level-two trauma center, which means there is a surgeon on staff 24/7, and it may have been the closest to the scene.
The third deputy was taken by ambulance to AdventHealth Waterman from the scene before midnight.
Ironhorse said he’d lived in the area for 25 years, and the last time he’d seen law enforcement respond to a situation like this in this area was when a Lake County deputy, Wayne Koester, was shot during a domestic violence call in 2005. Two other deputies were injured. The suspect in that shooting is serving life in prison.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident, which is standard procedure.
“I would just ask that you keep the men and women of this agency and law enforcement in general in your prayers,” Grinnell said. “They have a tough job and we lost one tonight.”
Stay with News 6 for updates.
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