In a heartbreaking incident on Thursday, July 24, 2025, three women were fatally shot inside a home on West 12th Avenue in Hilliard, Florida. The suspect, identified as 34-year-old Christopher Bobby Rowell, was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and an SKS-style 7.62 caliber assault rifle beside him. Rowell was airlifted to UF Health in Jacksonville, where he remains on life support and is considered clinically brain dead, with medical personnel keeping him alive for organ harvesting.

A 5-year-old girl, who was inside the home during the horrific event, miraculously escaped unharmed and ran to a neighbor’s house, banging on the door to report the shooting. The neighbor’s 911 call prompted Nassau County Sheriff’s deputies to respond around 8 p.m. Upon entering the unlocked home, deputies discovered a gruesome scene: one woman was found dead in the living room/dining room area, another in a bathroom, and a third in a bedroom. All three victims were related to Rowell, though their identities and exact relationships have not been disclosed pending notification of next of kin.

Sheriff Bill Leeper described the incident as a domestic violence case, noting that one of the victims had pushed the young girl into a bathroom for safety during the attack. The child witnessed at least one of the shootings and had blood spatter on her from the second victim’s death. “She’s a very strong, brave, beautiful girl,” Leeper said, emphasizing her courage despite the trauma. The girl is now safe with relatives but will need significant support to cope with the ordeal.

Investigators believe Rowell first shot the woman in the living room/dining room area, then the woman in the bathroom, and finally the woman in the bedroom before returning to the living room to shoot himself. Several other loaded weapons and magazines were found in the home, though prior calls to the residence were unrelated to domestic issues. Sheriff Leeper called the incident “sad, tragic, and totally unnecessary,” noting that the only positive aspect was that the child was not physically harmed.

The investigation is ongoing, with authorities still working to determine the motive behind this devastating act of violence.