In a heartbreaking but surprisingly heroic moment that shocked Nassau County, Florida, a courageous 5-year-old girl survived a horrific shooting that tragically murdered three ladies inside their home on July 24.
Christopher Bobby Rowell, 34, was eventually found to be the perpetrator of this horrible act. One of the victims instinctively dragged the young girl into a restroom to protect her before the terrible incident happened. Despite being in a condition of shock and covered in blood, the poor child managed to escape the house unharmed.
Following this horrifying incident, the shooter committed suicide.
After a man is accused of killing three women in Florida, a five-year-old girl escapes a shooting while covered in blood. Police at homeThis link: https://t.co/e3uTLgBmxN
People July 28, 2025 (@people)
When a neighbor heard a young girl furiously hammering on their door at around eight o’clock at night, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office received a call. She said that her home had been the scene of a murder.
In Hilliard, Florida, the police hurried to the location on West 12th Avenue.
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The front door was ajar when they arrived. They discovered a frightening scene inside: three ladies, one in a bedroom, one in the bathroom off the corridor, and one on the floor between the dining room and the living room. Rowell, who was barely alive, sat in the living room next to a spooky-looking assault weapon in the SKS style.
It turned out that he was declared clinically dead.
Sheriff Bill Leeper said the 5-year-old’s ordeal was similar to what you would see in an action movie. Fortunately, she had the courage to glance out into the corridor when she heard a gunshot. She was horrified to see that one of the women had already fallen to the ground. In an attempt to protect her, a courageous woman saw her and swiftly pulled her inside the restroom, but she unfortunately did not survive.
She didn’t stress out even though the poor little thing ended up covered in blood. Not enough to hold her motionless. She fled, hurried to the neighbors, and summoned the police, the ambulance, and everyone else that was required to alleviate the dangerous situation.
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She is an extremely resilient young girl. Very courageous. Sheriff Leeper of Florida said at a press conference, “Beautiful girl.” She is currently with other family members. To calm the nervous group, he said, “She’s safe, but she was traumatized.”
The details of who was involved in the altercation are being kept under wraps, despite the sheriff’s claim that everyone involved was family. It appears that a major family dispute caused the entire disaster. They also employed a 7.62 caliber assault rifle, which was a very impressive piece of equipment. To put it mildly, that is not your typical kitchen knife. The shooter essentially wanted his victims dead and knew what he was doing.
According to Leeper, it’s upsetting and completely unnecessary.
Police in Florida are currently investigating the incident, trying to determine when and why the whole horrible incident occurred. The names of the three women who died have not yet been revealed to us.
