Three Lake County Sheriff’s deputies were shot, one fatally, while responding to a report of a disturbance at a Florida home.
A deputy is dead. Another deputy was hit in the shoulder and is now in stable condition. The third deputy was hit in the armpit, groin and stomach area multiple times, has undergone surgery and is in serious critical condition, Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell said during a news conference.
Deputies responded to a call about a disturbance in progress and while conducting their investigation learned there was a problem at a home a few houses down from where they were, Grinnell said.
The deputies then responded there and saw what appeared to be the back door kicked in and they heard a disturbance inside the house. When the deputies entered the home, there was “a lot of gunfire” and one of the deputies was hit, Grinnell said.
This screenshot from a video shows law enforcement near the scene where three deputies were shot, on August 2, 2024, in Lake County, Florida.
WFTV
The deputy with him was able to retreat from the home but the first deputy was trapped inside the home.
Several deputies responded to the scene and formed a “rescue team” to go back into the house and try to get the deputy into the home and they were met with a “hail of gunfire” and another sheriff’s deputy was hit, but they were able to retreat from the house, Grinnell said.
“It was a very violent scene,” Grinnell said.
“They were ambushed,” he said.
This screenshot from a video shows law enforcement near the scene where three deputies were shot, on August 2, 2024, in Lake County, Florida.
WFTV
Law enforcement then mobilized the SWAT team because they were dealing with “a lot of firepower,” Grinnell said.
Of the people inside the residence, two are dead and one was transported and their conditions are unknown, according to Grinnell. They found several firearms in the home.
There is no longer a threat to the public, according to Grinnell.