Tragedy unfolded in Hilliard, Nassau County, when a domestic incident escalated to fatal violence, resulting in the deaths of three women and leaving a shooter hospitalized in a grievous state. As reported by Action News Jax, the Nassau County Sheriff's Office disclosed that the episode was witnessed by a 5-year-old girl and that the shooter, Christopher Rowell, was placed on life support to sustain organ viability.
On the evening of the incident, deputies were unable to make contact with anyone inside the residence upon their arrival. According to First Coast News, the authorities entered to find a dire scene: one woman lying in the dining room and the man, Rowell, alongside an SKS-style assault rifle in the living room. They proceeded to quickly discover additional victims in a bathroom and a bedroom, all of whom were "obviously deceased."
Escaping the grisly situation was a young child, who, according to Jacksonville Today, was shoved into a bathroom for safety by one of the victims. “The child said she was in the back of the house, heard a gunshot,” Sheriff Bill Leeper is quoted saying. “She came down the hallway, saw a female on the floor in the living room/dining room area — another female grabbed her and put her in the bathroom. When that individual was shot, she got blood splattered on her.” The child, now in the care of relatives, survived the ordeal.
Sheriff Leeper, in a saddened tone, described the event as “sad; it's tragic; it's heartbreaking and was totally, totally unnecessary.” As per First Coast News, Rowell's actions seemed to follow a deliberate sequence, with the first woman being shot in the dining room, followed by the other victims in the bathroom and bedroom before he turned the gun on himself. The deputies' swift intervention allowed them to quickly seek medical attention for Rowell, yet his prognosis remained dire.
Authorities said there were no previous domestic incidents at the home. Sheriff Leeper also said more guns and ammunition were found at the scene, suggesting the suspect was prepared for the events that happened Thursday night.
