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.
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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.
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“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.
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.
“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 dwelling has been described as almost a bunker-style dwelling. They had stockpiled firearms ammunition, MREs, canned 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.