PLANT CITY, FL — Investigators have completed their investigation into the deaths of four people, including two young children, in an early May shooting that authorities have ruled a murder-suicide, Plant City police said in a news release.
Police said 27-year-old Hailey Dempsey shot and killed her mother inside their home during the early morning hours of May 3.
Dempsey then left the home on foot with her three daughters, police said. Shortly before 7 a.m., she concealed herself and the children behind bushes and trees in the front yard of a home on W. Tever Street.
She shot and killed her 4-year-old and 4-month-old daughters, police said. She also attempted to shoot her 2-year-old daughter but missed.
Dempsey then shot herself, dying by suicide, according to investigators. The 2-year-old girl survived.
"This is a tragedy that has deeply affected two families, our community, and the men and women of the Plant City Police Department," Police Chief Richard Mills Jr. said in a statement.
He said the investigation provides answers but does not lessen the loss experienced by the families.
"Our hearts remain with the Dempsey and Deboe families, especially the surviving child whose life has been forever changed," Mills said.
If you or someone you know is in a crisis or considering harming themselves, call the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay at 211. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline also can be reached by calling 988. Immediate help is also available in an emergency by dialing 911. Additional mental health and suicide prevention resources are available online.
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