A man is suspected of killing two people, including a person he was previously in a relationship with, and then gunning down four more at another home hundreds of miles away in what authorities are calling connected homicides in Florida.
Law enforcement officials in Fort Lauderdale and Sarasota County identified 51-year-old Russell Kot as the suspect in the homicides on Wednesday. Kot died of apparent self-inflicted wounds on Tuesday following the alleged killing spree, authorities said.
### Sarasota County Shootings
Deputies in Sarasota County initially responded midday Tuesday to a shooting at a residence located in a gated community. Four people were killed, including a man who was shot while approaching the front door, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.
Two women and another man were found dead inside the home, which is situated in the Amberlea neighborhood. The suspect, Kot, was also found dead in the residence, the sheriff’s office reported.
Video footage showed Kot’s vehicle entering the neighborhood around 11 a.m. Tuesday. Shortly afterward, a neighbor’s Ring camera captured the sound of gunfire. The man who was shot outside was seen entering the neighborhood in his vehicle approximately 37 minutes prior. Deputies found neighbors performing CPR on him in the front yard upon arrival.
### Fort Lauderdale Double Homicide
Later that same day, over 200 miles away on Florida’s east coast, police conducted a well-being check at a home in the Victoria Park section of Fort Lauderdale. Inside, two people were found dead, police said.
While Sarasota County authorities worked to identify the victims and suspect in their case, the Fort Lauderdale police contacted them, indicating that the double homicide and the Sarasota County shooting might be related.
Following the Fort Lauderdale homicide, the suspect’s vehicle was captured on camera traveling near Sarasota County before the quadruple homicide in Amberlea occurred.
### Suspect and Victim Connections
Russell Kot, who lived in Fort Lauderdale, had a “previous romantic relationship” with one of the Fort Lauderdale victims, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. That victim was connected to the Sarasota County victims, officials said, though they declined to provide further details.
On Wednesday, police identified the victims in Fort Lauderdale as Larisa Blyudaya, 46, and Ben Azivov, 18. The Sarasota County victims were named as Olga Greinert, 49; Florita Stolyar, 66; Anatoly Ioffe, 61; and Yaroslav Blyudoy, 39.
### Investigation and Motive
The homicides remain under investigation. As of Wednesday, a motive in the Sarasota County incident is still unknown.
“Based on our preliminary investigation, it appears that the suspect died of self-inflicted wounds, and there are no known documented mental health crises nor history of violence associated with him,” the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office stated.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/man-suspected-killing-6-people-2-residences-florida/story?id=130078998