A Florida family of four was deep into anti-government conspiracy theories when they killed a sheriff’s deputy and injured two others in a violent shootout last week, authorities say.
Michael and Julie Ann Sulpizio and daughters Cheyenne, 23, and Savannah, 22, were at their home in rural Eustis, about 37 miles northwest of Orlando, when deputies arrived Friday night after receiving a report that Julie Ann, 48, had been trying to lure other residents into the residence to kill them.
When the officers encountered Julie Ann, she began talking about angels and demons and accused the neighbors of being pedophiles, officials said. Authorities took her into custody for a mental evaluation.
Lake County deputies then noticed two dead dogs in the Sulpizios’ yard. When they entered the premises, the other three family members ambushed them, shooting Master Deputy Sheriff Bradley Michael Link several times, killing him, authorities said. The other deputies retreated and called for backup.
A SWAT team arrived and stormed the property. Two deputies — Master Deputy Harold Howell and Deputy 1st Class Stefano Gargano — were shot by the family members, officials said.
As the first SWAT officer to enter the premises, Gargano suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
Several more gunshots were heard inside the home, and Cheyenne and Savannah Sulpizio were later found dead on the couch from self-inflicted bullet wounds, authorities said. Michael Sulpizio was discovered gravely injured by a self-inflicted gunshot wound as well and died at a nearby hospital, officials said.
Julie Ann was described later as being pleased by the horror.
“She was joyful,” Detective Josh Mercer, who interviewed the mom, told reporters at a Monday press conference.
“There was no remorse. None at all,” he said.
Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell said at the briefing that officers found a stockpile of weapons and survival supplies inside the home, as well as “anti-government propaganda and conspiracy-theory-related media.”
Mercer said investigators found “bumper stickers, handouts, and fliers for things like Infowars and various podcasts.”
The Sulpizios had estranged themselves from their families — and society, Grinnell added. The girls had been pulled from public school and were home-schooled to shield them from external influences.
Julie Ann has been charged with one count of murder. Authorities are reviewing the case to see if she should face additional charges. She has not entered a plea and it’s unclear if she has a lawyer authorized to speak on her behalf.
