LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – Three days after three Lake County sheriff’s deputies were ambushed inside a home near Eustis, investigators told News 6 that they have reached out to federal agencies to help find out more about the family they believe was behind the attack.
The three deputies were shot late Friday in the area of County Road 439, near Brookside Drive, north of State Road 44. Lake County Master Deputy Bradley Michael Link, 28, died of his injuries, while Deputy First Class Stefano Gargano was shot and critically injured and Master Deputy Sheriff Harold Howell was shot and wounded.
Lt. John Herrell on Monday told News 6 more about the family at the center of the attack.
Herrell said Julie Jefferson Sulpizio and her husband, Michael Sulpizio, kept to themselves and had very few occasions to call police.
He said they encountered Julie Jefferson Sulpizio first late Friday night.
“This lady (Julie) then sent them to this house under the guise of conducting a well-being check,” Herrell said on Saturday. “She said something to the effect that you need to go down to this house and check on the people there, so the deputies went down to this house, and it appeared that the house had been burglarized. In fact, they thought they had a possible burglary in progress. As they were posting up on the house, they could hear commotion inside. They tried to order the people out. No one came out, so at that point, they made entry of the home at which time they were immediately met with heavy, heavy gunfire.”
Herrell said the shooters were the woman’s husband and two daughters – Michael Sulpizio, 48; Cheyenne, 23; and Savannah, 22.
Herrell said all three appeared to have fatally shot themselves.
Later Monday, it was announced that Julie Jefferson Sulpizio, who was being held via the Baker Act, was arrested on a charge of premeditated murder of a law enforcement officer.
[STORY CONTINUES BELOW VIDEO | READ: What is Florida’s Baker Act?]
“This dwelling has been described as almost a bunker-style dwelling,” Herrell said. “They had stockpiled firearms, ammunition, MREs and non-perishable food items.”
He said they also found antigovernmental literature.
Herrell told News 6 his team is working to find out more about the family’s motives.
Julie’s mother told News 6 on Monday that she was shocked to hear what happened.
Her daughter was sent for mental health treatment immediately following the shooting. She said she was still undergoing treatment on Monday.
She told News 6 she had no idea her daughter was antigovernment, and added that she is mourning the loss of her two granddaughters.
A News 6 investigation showed one of the last known contacts the Sulpizios had with Lake County sheriff’s deputies was in May 2023. Court records show deputies tried repeatedly to serve the couple with a foreclosure summons, but neither was there to be served.
The foreclosure was later dropped when arrangements were made to pay what was owed.