Florida: Gunman Kills Four, Including a 3-Month-Old Boy; 11-Year-Old Injured

Representational image of a crime scene.

(Photo: iStock)

A man, who served in the US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, shot dead four people, including a woman and her three-month-old son in Florida, US, on Sunday, 5 September. The four belonged to two adjacent houses in central Florida, officials said, Reuters reported.

The man was subsequently taken into custody after he exchanged gunfire with sheriff's deputies, as per The New York Times. According to the officials, the 33-year-old man, clad in body armour also shot and injured an 11-year-old girl.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd told in a news conference that they have have identified the man as Bryan Riley, a former at US Marine.

Judd said that Riley had no connections with the victims. He engaged in a gunfire with the sheriff's deputies before surrendering himself.

Besides, Sheriff Judd also said he also tried to grab a police officer's gun, while he was being treated for his own gunshot injury at a hospital.

Riley's girlfriend told officials that he was employed as a bodyguard and security guard and was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, Reuters reported.

At a second news conference, that was held with regard to this case, Judd said, "He said at one point to our detectives, 'They begged for their lives and I killed them anyway'".

Judd added that Riley was experiencing delusions and about a week ago, he told his girlfriend that he was speaking to God. The man also reportedly told Judd's deputies that he was high on methamphetamine and was a "survivalist".

(With inputs from Reuters and The New York Times)