An 11-year-old girl and her father are dead after a dispute over a dog. Neighbor Ronald Delserro, 82, shot and killed Harper Hansman and her dad Guy Alexander Hansman, 55, said police in Port St. Lucie, Florida, according to TC Palm.
The now-dead suspect was armed with two handguns, cops said. There were six other people inside a home on Monday. Four managed to flee. The other two were the victims who died. Alexander Hansman was shot in the garage. His daughter Harper managed to call 911 at about 12:24 p.m. to report the shooting, but she was struck, and died at a hospital. Police and a deputy got into a shootout with Delserro in the two-story home. A cop sustained a gunshot to the arm and other non-life threatening injuries, but was eventually released from a hospital. A bulletproof vest stopped a bullet from hitting his chest.
Cops said SWAT discovered Delserro dead in a second floor bedroom, and they’re investigating how he died.
Officials said that the incident seemed to have stemmed from an incident in which Delserro’s bull mastiff Roxy allegedly bit a woman. The canine was deemed dangerous on July 1, according to the TC Palm. There was a $505 fine on the citation.
The shooting happened after Delserro left court on Monday. Police said Roxy was euthanized Wednesday after Delserro’s wife called Animal Control on Tuesday to surrender her dog because she was leaving town, according to CBS 12.
An unleashed Roxy was found to have attacked the Hansman’s dog on March 4, and a woman identified as “Mrs. Hansman” tried to keep the canines from one another. She and her dog had been bitten during the encounter with Roxy, and reached out for medical attention, officials said.
Morningside Elementary School released a statement on Wednesday in memory of Harper Hansman:
Our school family has suffered a tragic loss. We will have a Crisis Intervention Team on campus Thursday 7/9 between the hours of 9-12 to help students through the grieving process. Please enter through the cafeteria doors. Face masks are required and temperatures will be taken at the door.
[Screengrab of home in which shooting happened via WPEC]