OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – A Liberty High School senior was shot and killed Thursday, and her ex-boyfriend killed himself as deputies closed in, according to the Osceola County Sheriff's Office.
Kai Williams, 20, shot himself Thursday as deputies approached the area where they said a burglary in progress was reported in Poinciana.
Deputies said they received a call at 12:05 p.m. from a woman who said a man she knew was trying to break into her home and that he was possibly armed.
When deputies arrived near the scene at Berkshire Road and Brixham Court, they encountered Williams, who matched the man's description. Williams fatally shot himself when deputies tried to approach him.
[Liberty High student killed took right steps to avoid her abuser, records show]
Larissa Barros, 18, was found at the home on Blackpool Way, where the 911 call came from, and was pronounced dead at the scene, deputies said.
"She was my best friend," Drew Smith said.
He said he had known Barros since the second grade.
"I don't know whether to feel angry or sad or guilty because I didn't even text her in the morning," he said.
Smith said Barros and Williams had a child together, and they also had problems.
According to Osceola County court records, Williams had been arrested twice in the past year -- once on an aggravated stalking charge for which Barros was the victim, and again for violating a restraining order Barros had against him.
News 6 also found out Williams had just been ordered in February to begin paying child support for their child.
Barros was two weeks away from graduating from Liberty High School, and Williams was a former student at the school, Osceola County Sheriff's Office Capt. Jacob Ruiz said.
Grief counselors will be at Liberty High School to help students and faculty deal with the loss, according Osceola County Public Schools spokeswoman Dana Schaefer.
Ruiz called the shooting a tragedy that illustrates the complexity and severity of domestic violence.
“There’s so much help out there," Ruiz said. "This kind of tragedy can be prevented, and we urge our community to reach out and use those resources."
The investigation is ongoing, but deputies said the shooting is an isolated incident and they are not searching for any suspects. There were no eyewitnesses, but Ruiz said it appears Williams was the shooter.
