Three people were found dead in a double murder-suicide on a quiet street in Lehigh Acres. The Lee County Sheriff's Office discovered the bodies at a home on Calhoun Street East, leaving the community in shock.
"I was really shocked," said an anonymous neighbor. "I was like, not around here, because I've always felt safe here. Never anything. Never happened around here. So I was very shocked. I was disturbed."
Deputies swarmed the home on Monday night as they responded to the tragic scene.
"You think you're in a safe place, but it can happen anywhere. It's scary," said the same anonymous neighbor.
Neighbors expressed gratitude for the police response but were surprised by the large presence.
"You hear gunshots around here, but to have so many units, so many people, first responders arriving there, that's just crazy," said Joaquin Matias-Hernandez, a neighbor.
Another neighbor, Justin Clevenger, said, "We went out back and saw the flashing lights. There weren't too many people out in the neighborhood. They had drones up searching. So that made me feel safe, knowing that the police were around and looking for what was going on."
The crime scene remained taped off well into Tuesday afternoon. The Lee County Sheriff's Office's Major Crimes Unit detectives assured the community that this was an isolated incident and there is no threat to the public.
"I honestly give my condolences to any of the family members affected," said Matias-Hernandez. "I give thoughts and prayers to those. But it's just, it's out of this world, really is."
In a statement, the Lee County Sheriff's Office said,
"We understand the public is concerned following two recent, tragic events that occurred in the Lehigh Acres community. While these incidents happened in close proximity, they are two separate and isolated investigations. Sadly, tragedies of this nature can be unpredictable and deeply impact an entire community.
We mourn with the families and the Lehigh Acres community as they cope with these devastating losses. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office remains fully committed to conducting thorough and complete investigations into each matter. We also encourage anyone who is struggling or in crisis to reach out — help is available. The safety and well-being of our residents remain the top priority of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office."