'Immediately met with heavy gunfire': Lake County Sheriff's Office details ambush of deputies
EUSTIS, Fla. - In a press briefing Saturday evening, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office provided more detail about the moments that led up to three deputies being shot, one of them killed, and two others wounded. Lieutenant John Harrell said the entire situation was a nightmare scenario for his agency.
Lt. Harrell said the deputies were "ambushed," and met with a barrage of bullets inside a Eustis, Florida home. "They were immediately met with heavy gunfire," he said.
The gunfire stemmed from a well-being check after deputies initially responding to a distressed call about a woman attacking her neighbors, according to the sheriff's office.
"She was incoherent and out of her mind, talking about spiritual stuff," Lt. Herrell said. "She was attacking people in the neighborhood. She was trying to get dogs to attack people."
The woman, then led deputies to a home for a well-being check where they were met with heavy gunfire, according to deputies. Master Deputy Sheriff Bradley Link was killed and two others wounded.
The Sheriff’s Office says three suspects who fired the shots at deputies were living in a bunker-style home.
"They had stockpiled firearms, ammunition, MREs, canned goods, and nonperishable food items," said Harrell.
LCSO confirmed to FOX35 two adopted daughters and their father are the suspects. All of the suspects are dead from self-inflicted gunfire, according to officials. "There is no indication that they were struck with any return fire from our deputies," he said.
The suspects, appeared to be doomsday preppers with anti-government literature inside the home.
Harrell said it was a "bizarre situation." "Our deputies obviously didn’t realize what they were going into at that time. They thought they were going there to do a well-being check."
The woman who the sheriff’s office said led deputies to the house, was sent to a mental health facility Friday evening. It is not yet known if she will face any charges.