Fatal shooting of 2 deputies called baffling

TRENTON, Fla. — Investigators in Florida say they may never know why a man — a recluse from a rural farm community who rarely ventured into town — killed two sheriff’s deputies while they sat in a restaurant.

John Hubert Highnote, 58, of Bell, casually walked into the restaurant, went up to the Gilchrest County deputies and fired at them. He then returned to his car and killed himself.

“It’s inexplicable,” State Attorney Bill Cervone said. “People will want to know why, and we may never have an answer for them.”

Highnote came from a small town just up the road from the Ace China restaurant in Trenton, about 35 miles west of Gainesville. He lived alone in a small, brick house.

A neighbor who has lived across the street for five years said Highnote never introduced himself, and he was rarely seen in town. The only time she ever saw him was when he would drive his truck into the garage.

“I’d see him pull in, shut the garage and go in. No lights on or nothing,” the neighbor, who spoke on condition of anonymity. She characterized him as a recluse.

Gilchrest County Sheriff Bobby Schultz blamed the deaths of Sgt. Noel Ramirez, 30, and Deputy Taylor Lindsey, 25, on hatred toward law enforcement.

“What do you expect happens when you demonize law enforcement to the extent it’s been demonized? Every type of hate, every type of put-down you can think of,” Schultz said at a news conference.

Court records show Highnote had one traffic ticket from 2012, but no other criminal or civil matters. Property records show he bought his house in 2010.