A Florida man has been arrested after fatally shooting four family members, including his 15-year-old daughter, at a home early Wednesday, according to Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.
Domenico Claude Gigante, 36, of Rockledge, is charged with four counts of premeditated first-degree murder in the deaths of Glenda Mae Terwilliger, 63, Michael Andrew Watson, 36, Constance Marie Terwilliger, 35, and 15-year-old Kiarrra Terwilliger, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office said.
Sheriff Wayne Ivey told reporters Gigante has a long history of violence, which includes hurting and killing animals.
“Folks, I’m going to tell you that this is an extremely violent individual with an extremely violent past dating back as far as 2005, who should have never been on our streets where he could take the lives of this entire family,” Ivey said.
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According to Ivey, Gigante was previously arrested for domestic violence and battery in 2005, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and aggravated assault in 2012.
Gigante was also previously arrested on several counts of animal cruelty in 2008. Ivey told reporters that the murder suspect had killed a dog by slamming the animal’s head onto a table, breaking its neck, and stabbing another dog.
According to investigators, Gigante was the biological father of 15-year-old Kiarra Terwilliger and had formerly been in a relationship with her mother, Constance Marie Terwilliger.
While a motive was unclear immediately, Ivey said detectives believed the incident was domestic and isolated.
Gigante is facing four counts of first-degree murder and made his initial court appearance on Thursday.
This is the deadliest single homicide case in Brevard since 2012.
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