Seven people are dead after a violent series of shootings that stretched from Fort Lauderdale to Sarasota, leaving families shattered across two Florida counties and investigators piecing together a trail of gunfire. Six victims were killed in their homes and driveways, and the suspected gunman is believed to have died from a self-inflicted wound, turning a cross-state crime spree into a murder-suicide. The scale and speed of the violence have transformed a deeply personal tragedy into a case that has rattled communities on both coasts of the state.
What began as a domestic dispute inside a Fort Lauderdale house ended with a mass shooting at a Sarasota home, a frantic manhunt, and finally the suspected shooter’s body found in a car. As loved ones plan funerals, detectives are retracing every step of the suspect’s movements, trying to understand how a conflict inside one family escalated into one of the deadliest linked shootings Florida has seen in years.
From Fort Lauderdale to Sarasota: How the Shooting Spree Unfolded
Investigators say the violence started in a quiet Fort Lauderdale neighborhood, where multiple relatives were shot inside a home before the killer got back in a car and headed across the state. Reports describe the initial killings in Fort Lauderdale occurring earlier in the day, with the shooter then driving roughly 200 miles to Sarasota, where the rampage continued at another residence tied to the same extended family. By the time officers connected the two addresses, six victims had been shot dead and the suspected gunman would soon be found with a fatal wound in Sarasota, bringing the total to seven dead in what authorities describe as a suspected murder-suicide that spanned Sarasota and Fort.
Law enforcement in Florida quickly realized they were not dealing with two isolated crime scenes but a single unfolding spree. Detectives publicly linked the Fort Lauderdale house and the Sarasota home after matching the suspect and vehicle across both locations, describing how two crime scenes with 7 dead were connected on opposite sides of the state. Officials said the Sarasota killings involved apparent execution-style shootings, and the suspect was later discovered with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Sarasota, a detail that aligns with early accounts of Seven Dead in state violence.
The Victims: Intertwined Families Torn Apart
The dead are not strangers to each other; they are members of closely connected families whose lives overlapped through marriage, friendship, and shared history. Relatives have publicly honored the Stolyar, Blyudoy, Azizov, and Ioffe families, describing how several generations were wiped out in a matter of hours. A fundraising page created to support funeral costs lists the surnames together, a stark reminder that the killings did not just hit one branch of a family tree but cut across multiple lines at once, and supporters have rallied around the honoring the Stolyar families campaign.
In the days since the shootings, relatives have gathered to mourn, sharing stories of parents, children, and siblings who should still be alive. Family members have spoken about the victims’ everyday lives, from work and school to holiday traditions, painting a picture of ordinary people caught in extraordinary violence. One relative described the loss of Larisa Blyudaya and other loved ones as a hole that cannot be filled, while friends have used social media and local gatherings to remember the victims named in coverage of the Family mourns victims from Fort Lauderdale and Sarasota.
Inside the Investigation: Linking Two Crime Scenes and One Suspect
From the start, detectives in Florida were juggling two active crime scenes separated by hours of highway and a fast-moving suspect. Authorities described how they tied the killings together by tracking the same vehicle, examining shell casings, and comparing witness accounts from both neighborhoods. Officials have said that two crime scenes with 7 dead on opposite sides of the state were connected by a single suspect, and they emphasized that the public was no longer in danger once that suspect was found dead in Sarasota. The update came as investigators worked through a timeline that stretched from the Fort Lauderdale home to the Sarasota property, a process captured in early reports that Florida Detectives Link two locations with Dead victims on Opposite Sides of the State.
Another account of the case describes how detectives publicly confirmed that the shootings in Sarasota and Fort Lauderdale were connected, with one suspect responsible for six homicides and his own death. Officials referenced a briefing where they detailed the cross-state route and explained that the suspect’s body was discovered in a vehicle in Sarasota, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, after the spree left 7 dead across two cities. That linked narrative has been echoed in national coverage that framed the case as a Cross state murder that left Seven people dead in Florida.
Community Shock, Public Warnings, and Social Media Reaction
Neighbors in both cities describe scenes of chaos and disbelief as police cars and ambulances flooded normally quiet streets. In Sarasota, people living near the crime scene spoke about hearing multiple shots and then seeing officers swarm the area, while Fort Lauderdale residents recounted the shock of learning that a family they saw regularly was suddenly gone. Law enforcement in Florida used public briefings and social media to keep residents updated and to calm fears, repeating that the suspect was no longer a threat once his body was found. One regional outlet noted how Florida detectives linked the two crime scenes and used that information to reassure the local public, a message that was shared widely by accounts such as Discovered Florida and on Discovered Florida Threads.
Online, the story spread quickly, with posts and short videos summarizing the case for people who might only catch the news on their phones. One widely shared clip described how Six people were found dead after a cross-state shooting spree that stretched from Fort Lauderdale to Sarasota, and it labeled the case a Murder Spree Floriday (7 Dead) before noting that the suspect then killed himself in Sarasota Florida. That framing, captured in a Repost Six Fort social media post, gave the tragedy a blunt shorthand that has since circulated far beyond the two cities directly affected.
Grief, Funerals, and a Long Road Ahead
As detectives finish their forensic work, families are turning to the painful logistics of burying their dead. Funeral arrangements are underway for the six victims, with relatives organizing services in both Sarasota and Fort Lauderdale to reflect where different branches of the family lived. Coverage from the Gulf Coast has described how mourners are gathering for vigils and memorials, sharing photos, and leaning on faith and community support to get through the first wave of grief. One report on how Murder suicide victims are being remembered notes that as funeral arrangements begin, loved ones are trying to focus on the lives that were lived rather than the horrific final moments, a sentiment captured in coverage that credits Murder Close By with documenting those early gatherings.
Families are also using social platforms and local television to keep the victims’ names in the public eye and to push back against the idea that this case is just another headline. A memorial post shared through Discovered Family Fort has been used to spread funeral details and fundraising links, while the official Discovered Family Fort page has amplified interviews with grieving relatives. Those conversations, often raw and unscripted, underline how a single gunman’s decisions have left a lasting scar on two cities and on a network of families who will be living with the fallout long after the crime scene tape is gone.
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