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Russell Kot motive: 4 victims identified after 7 die in Sarasota and Fort Lauderdale shootings; love angle emerges
The 4 victims of a deadly shooting in Sarasota, Florida, have been identified. Russell Kot, accused of killing them, was found dead from self-inflicted wounds.
The victims of a deadly shooting in Sarasota, Florida, have been identified by authorities. Russell Kot, the 51-year-old accused of killing the four people, was also found dead from self-inflicted wounds.
Kot has also been linked to a double homicide in Fort Lauderdale, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, Fox 13 reported.
Who are the victims of the Sarasota shooting?
Those killed in Sarasota have been identified as Olga Greinert, 49; Florita Stolyar, 66; Anatoly Ioffe, 61; and Yaroslav Blyudoy, 39. All next of kin were notified, according to Herald-Tribune.
A motive for the shootings has not been determined yet. However, investigators said that the suspect was in a previous romantic relationship with one of the victims in Fort Lauderdale. That victim was connected to the Sarasota County victims.
An investigation is underway.
How the incident unfolded
Investigators said that a neighbor called 911 shortly before 12:30 pm on Tuesday, February 10, to report that a man had been shot at a home in the Amberlea neighborhood near Proctor and McIntosh Roads.
"I don’t know. I heard a loud boom earlier, and I thought somebody dropped something, and then I just walked outside and my neighbor Tony, is lying on the ground, his house is open and there’s blood all over his stomach," the unidentified neighbor said in a 911 call, per Fox 13.
Deputies arrived to find the neighbor performing CPR on a man in the front yard. The victim was identified as Loffe, the homeowner.
Deputies moved Loffe to a different location, and he was pronounced dead shortly after. Crews with the Sarasota County Fire Department later took over.
Neighbors told deputies that Loffe’s wife may be inside the house. When they entered, they found the bodies of two men and two women. One of the five people who were found dead was Kot.
Detectives said that they were told by the Fort Lauderdale Police Department that there was a double homicide they thought might be connected to the Sarasota murders.
