Parents, especially mothers, always do their best to protect the most precious thing in their lives, their children, when they feel threatened.
Such is the case where a mother hugged her baby in her arms tightly, hoping she will protect it from the armed ex-Marine sharpshooter who had entered their home early in the morning, who like many Marines who served in US missions in Afghanistan or Iraq, has been facing post-traumatic stress disorder since his honorable discharge.
The ex-Marine, 33-year-old B. Riley, killed 4 people, including the mother and her baby, their dog, and wounded 1 kid in two separate houses on one property in Florida in the early morning of September 5, and started a gunfight with police before surrendering.
Police responded twice in just nine hours at the house where the horrific quadruple homicide. The first time, they responded to a report of a woman about a suspicious man parked in a vehicle near her home who allegedly told her that he wants to talk with her daughter.
Police responded briefly, but could not locate the man. The second time they responded was after a report of a person who heard gunshots from the same house.
Upon arrival, they found Riley, outfitted in body armor, at the scene and he returned at the home in front of their eyes firing multiple shots followed by a woman screaming and a baby crying. Riley then started gunfight with the police and surrendered briefly.
After arresting Riley and entering the house, they found an 11-year-old girl with multiple wounds. The girl was flown to a hospital for surgery and is in stable condition.
Later they located 3 dead bodies in the first house, including a man and a mother holding her baby in her arms. They located one more dead body in the second house on property.
The male victim was identified as the 40-year-old Justice Gleason. The names of the 3-month-old baby, the 33-year-old female and the 62-year-old grandmother have not been released.
Preliminary investigation showed no connection between the family and Riley.
According to the investigation report, Riley confessed everything saying he is a methamphetamine addict and was drugged when entering the house, and additionally said the victims begged him for their lives but he still killed them because he was a sick man.
Riley was arrested and is facing multiple charges including first-degree murder.
He appeared on court for the first time couple of days ago and the judge ordered him to be jailed without bond.
