LAND O’ LAKES, FL. – Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco held a news conference at 11 a.m on Thursday to brief the public on the Land O’ Lakes murder-suicide.
On Wednesday night Pasco Sheriff’s deputies were on the scene of a murder-suicide in the Lake Padgett area of Land O’ Lakes.
“It appears that a mother took the lives of her two children,” said Amanda Hunter PIO for Pasco Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday night.
Nocco said on Thursday, a mother shot and killed her 3-year-old and 9-month-old son then turned the gun on herself.
During the briefing, authorities said there is a possible mental health illness involved with the mother in this tragedy.
Investigators say that the father, who wasn’t home at the time of the incident, walked into the scene and immediately called 911.
“Unfortunately, suicides and the harming of other people is coming commonplace and we don’t want it to be,” said Nocco. “So please know you’re not alone. Please know you grieve not alone. We are all going through this together. You know, last night, we had a horrific tragedy in Lake Padgett.”
While detectives said it seems there may have been some sort of dispute that led to this tragedy, Sergeant Michael Rosa with PSO said that social media didn’t appear to be a factor in this investigation.
But Sheriff Nocco spoke on the detriments and desensitizing nature of social media in the general public and its generational impact on the mental health crisis in the nation.
“We have to stop and we have to recognize this is a mental health crisis. It’s a health care crisis,” said Nocco. “We can not normalize suicide.”
“You know, somebody referred to it (social media) yesterday. A good friend of mine said it’s a plague, social media is a plague. It absolutely is a plague,” said Nocco.
“We have to get them (kids) off those off social media platforms. We got to get them back engaged, where they’re talking to each other, hanging out doing things, you know, spending time with each other, and volunteering more,” said Nocco. “Because if we can create empathy with teenagers, we can get them to understand that it doesn’t matter what other people are saying about you on social media.”
PSO is offering services to the family through their Victim Advocates and to responding Pasco Sheriff’s Office members through various outlets, including their Critical Incident Stress Management team.
If you or a loved one is struggling with mental health concerns, help is available and you are not alone. Visit pascosheriff.com/MENTALHEALTH.html for a list of community-based resources in your area.
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