A 5-year-old girl escaped from a Hilliard house, leading law enforcement to find a violent scene. It is believed that Christopher Bobby Rowell, a 34-year-old man, shot three women dead and then shot himself in the head. He is now clinically dead.
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According to a Nassau County Sheriff’s Office press conference, the incident occurred at around 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 24. Deputies responded to a report of a possible shooting at a West 12th Avenue residence in Hilliard, Florida. The caller, a neighbor, had found out about the incident via a 5-year-old girl, who escaped the scene.
Gruesome Scene
Upon arrival, deputies attempted to make contact with anyone inside the residence. However, they received no response. After opening the unlocked front door, deputies were met with a woman lying in a pool of blood between the living room and dining room, as Nassau County Bill Leeper.
Moments later, deputies found a man lying on the floor with an assault rifle next to him. In a hallway bathroom, a second woman was found “with blood and brain splatter all over the wall and the floor,” as per Leeper. Finally, a third woman was found inside a bedroom across the bathroom.
All three women were declared deceased. However, the man, Rowell, still had a pulse and was airlifted to a Jacksonville hospital. As reported by WJXT, Christopher Bobby Rowell was declared “clinically dead” as of Friday, July 25.
As reported by PEOPLE, the women were identified as Marissa Leara Rowell, 32, Sandra Gayle Fogarty, 71, and Alisha Lael Fogarty, 33.
It is believed Rowell first shot the woman in the area between the living room and dining room. Then, he shot the woman in the bathroom, finalizing his alleged string of murders with the woman in the bedroom, according to investigators. He then shot himself in the head.
‘Very Strong’ And ‘Brave’ Girl
The 5-year-old girl, unnamed, according to authorities, found the first woman dead in the dining room after hearing a gunshot. The second woman took her to a bathroom in an attempt to shelter her and herself. While the woman was shot dead, the 5-year-old somehow managed to escape, with blood splattered on her.
Leeper detailed how, after escaping, the girl managed to reach her neighbor. After telling them about the shooting, the neighbor called 911, which led to the gruesome discovery. The sheriff described the 5-year-old as “very strong” and “brave.”
Currently, the girl is safe and staying with other relatives.
“She’s certainly been through a traumatic experience that you want no child to go through,” Leeper added. “We just pray for her. She’s going to need a lot of love, a lot of support, and a lot of help in the next few years.”
Family Incident
While Sheriff Leeper stated that the shooting was “some type of domestic incident,” it remains under investigation. The relationship between the victims and the shooter is still unconfirmed, with Leeper saying that they were related.
However, on her Facebook page, Marissa Leara Rowell wrote that she married Christopher Rowell in October 2017. In January 2020, their daughter was born, most likely the 5-year-old girl who survived the shooting. Christopher’s Facebook profile picture is a Confederate flag.
The relationship between Marissa and the Fogarty women is still unconfrimed. However, both Marissa and Alisha listed Hammond, Indiana, as their home city.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. You can also chat with a representative at thehotline.org​ or by texting “START” to 88788.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline​. The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available.