Tragedy in Hilliard: Three Family Members Killed in Murder-Suicide in Nassau County, Florida
A quiet Thursday evening in Hilliard, Florida, turned into an unimaginable tragedy on July 24, when three members of the same family were shot and killed inside their home on West 12th Avenue in Nassau County.
The victims—Marissa Leara Rowell, 32, her mother Sandra Gayle Fogarty, 71, and her sister Alisha Lael Fogarty, 33—were described by loved ones as devoted, loving, and inseparable.
According to the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, the violence unfolded around 8 p.m. Authorities say the suspect, identified as 34-year-old Christopher Bobby Rowell, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after carrying out the murders. Sheriff Bill Leeper said the scene inside the home was horrific, with the three women found in separate areas of the residence.
The first victim, believed to be Marissa, was discovered between the living and dining rooms. Another victim was found in the hallway bathroom, and the third in a bedroom nearby. Beside the shooter lay an SKS-style assault rifle. Rowell had a faint pulse when deputies arrived but later died at the hospital.
Leeper explained that the sequence of events appeared to begin in the living/dining area, before the shooter moved through the home targeting the other victims.
“It appears the shooter first shot the female in the living room, dining room area, then shot the female in the bathroom, and then shot the female in the bedroom,” Leeper said. “He eventually returned to the living room where he shot himself in the head.”
Amid the chaos, Marissa’s 5-year-old daughter managed to survive. The child, who was in the back of the house, heard the first gunshot and walked toward the sound, only to discover one of the victims on the floor.
One of the women quickly ushered her into the bathroom to hide her, but that woman was then shot. The girl was struck with blood splatter but was physically unharmed. She fled to a neighbor’s home for help, sparking the emergency response.
The family is now rallying around the young girl, who has lost her mother, grandmother, and aunt in one night. A GoFundMe page created in the victims’ memory describes them as a tight-knit trio who poured their love into each other and especially into Marissa’s daughter.
Marissa was remembered as “a devoted mother” and “a guiding light” for her child. Sandra, a first-time grandmother, had “waited her whole life to have a granddaughter in her life.” Alisha, a fun-loving and dedicated aunt, “was crazy for her niece” and loved spending time playing games and being by her side “like a sister.”
The fundraiser seeks to cover cremation costs and provide financial support for the child’s care. “This child now faces a future without the warmth and loving support of her family,” the page reads, “and we are committed to ensuring she receives the care and love she needs to heal from this traumatic incident.”
The motive for the shooting has not been publicly disclosed, but the devastating loss has left the Hilliard community grieving and searching for answers.
