‘Everyone is hurting;’ Community rallies after St. Johns father, daughter dead in murder-suicide

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Two days after the death of a young girl and man that neighbors told Action News Jax was her father, a community held a vigil at 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon to honor the young girl’s death.

At around 1 p.m. on Friday afternoon, The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office said deputies got a call to Bucktail Ave. about suicide threats. Inside the home, they found the man dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound and a young girl nearby shot. She was taken to Wolfson’s Children’s hospital where she died. Deputies say the incident was a murder-suicide.

“Today everyone is hurting for a good reason. It’s been an unbelievably hard few days and will continue to be so,” Forest Coulter, a member of the community and organizer of the vigil told Action News Jax.

Coulter also cited how important it is for those struggling with this loss to ask for help if needed.

“Those who are feeling the weight of circumstances … if they’ve lost hope, call 988. That’s our national suicide hotline to talk to someone,” Coulter said.

The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office also released a statement following the incident on Friday with a list of organizations for those struggling after this tragedy:

“The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call for service in reference to suicide threats in the Nocatee area of St. Johns County. Once on scene, deputies breached the residence and located the subject deceased with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. While clearing the residence, a juvenile with a gunshot wound was also located. Both individuals were located in close proximity to each other. The juvenile was transported to a nearby hospital where they were later pronounced deceased. SJSO’s Major Crimes Unit also responded and is on the scene conducting an investigation. This is believed to be an isolated incident and there is no threat to the public. There will be no further updates at this time. The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office encourages anyone who is struggling to reach out for help. There are many local resources including Here Tomorrow, The National Alliance for Mental Illness, and Epic Behavioral Health. Individuals can also call 988 which is a 24/7 suicide and crisis lifeline.”

The family has also organized a GoFundMe following the incident. That GoFundMe can be found by clicking here.

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