USA TODAY International Edition
Fla. sheriff: 3 friends killed in ‘ massacre’
Men beaten and shot on their way to go fishing
FROSTPROOF, Fla. – Three men were fatally beaten and shot on their way to fish in a remote area late Friday night, according to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
During a media briefing near the scene Saturday morning, Judd identified the victims as Damion Tillman, 23, Keven Springfield, 30, and Brandon Rollins, 27. The three men had been friends for years, Judd said.
Judd described the killings as a “massacre.”
“This is a horrific scene,” Judd said Saturday. “I’ve been to a lot of murder scenes in my life, and this ranks among the worst.”
According to the preliminary investigation, Judd said, just after 10 p. m. Friday, Rollins called his dad on his cellphone for help.
Upon arriving at the scene, Rollins’ found his son barely alive and his two friends dead. Judd said Rollins was able to say a few things to his dad before he died, which the sheriff’ s office didn’t release at the morning briefing.
Judd said it appeared that Tillman arrived first in his red pickup, and while he was being killed, Rollins and Springfield arrived in a white pickup and were shot.
“In Brandon’s father’s excitement to run to help his son, he forgot his cellphone at home. So now he is out in the middle, as you can see, of no place without any communication,” Judd said. The father drove back to the nearest convenience store to call 911 and said, “My son needs help.”
By the time authorities arrived, Rollins had died of his injuries.
“These folks appear to be beaten and shot. ... We are seeking leads. We need help, so we can solve this crime sooner rather than later,” Judd said.