Sept 6, 2021: A former US Army sniper killed four people, including a woman and her three-month-old baby in her arms, before surrendering to police in Central Florida.

The 33 year old suspect, Brian Riley, also injured an 11-year-old girl who underwent surgery for seven gun shot wounds, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd told a news conference Sunday.

Riley, who is unrelated to the victims of the shooting incident, opened fire on police before surrendering. Judd said he later tried to grab a police officer’s gun while he was being treated at a hospital for gunshot wounds.

A veteran of the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Riley served as a bodyguard and security guard.

Judd said Riley’s girlfriend told investigators he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and occasional depression, adding that about a week ago his mental health deteriorated and he began “talking to God.”

Judd said, “He said at one point to our detectives, ‘They begged for their lives and I killed them anyway.”‘

The suspect who is now in custody also told sheriff’s deputies he was high on methamphetamine.

The assailant first appeared at random in the house where the shooting took place on Saturday night, made frivolous statements, but left the scene after police responded.

Judd said he returned Sunday morning, killing a 40-year-old man and a 33-year-old mother and her child. In the next house, he also killed the woman’s 62-year-old mother.

“In addition to that, as though it wasn’t evil enough, he shot and killed the family dog,” Judd said.

Deputies responding to reports of two volleys of automatic gunfire arrived to find the suspect unarmed outside, wearing camouflage and body armour. Riley then went back inside and “we heard another volley, and a woman scream, and a baby whimper”, Judd said.

He was arrested after a brief gunfight and he came out unarmed.

“It would have been nice if he had come out with a gun … we would have shot him a lot. But he didn’t because he was a coward,” Judd said. “When someone chooses to give up, we detain them peacefully.”

Stay tuned to BaaghiTV for latest news and Updates!