LUTZ, Fla. — The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office held a press conference detailing a "horrific, tragic scene" that unfolded in Lutz on the day after Thanksgiving.
Warning: This story contains mentions of suicide. If you or a loved one is having a mental health crisis, there is help. You can call The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or text the Crisis Support Text line (text 'HELLO' to 741741) to speak with a trained professional.
Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer said a 44-year-old father died by suicide after he killed his 5-year-old son. He also said the boy's mother is the one who made the discovery.
The mother called the sheriff's office saying she was trying to pick up her son from the father's house on Cranbrook Drive, but nobody was answering the door. At around 7:30 a.m., deputies went to the house and didn't see any suspicious activity or signs of foul play.
Then, around 10 a.m., the boy's mother went back to the house, and this time got inside, Deputy Maurer explained. She found both her son and the boy's father.
"This is a horrible, horrible scene," Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer said during a press conference detailing the tragedy. "Not only for the mother and the family of that child as they have to go through the holiday season knowing that they're missing this family member. It's also a horrible scene for the deputies that responded today."
He went on to ask for prayers for the family and the responding deputies, adding that the sheriff's office will assign a victim specialist to work with the family "hand in hand" moving forward.
Deputy Maurer said that the details of the investigation were preliminary, however, he said the sheriff's office wasn't aware of any previous calls for service to the house and no criminal history of the father that deputies know of.
Officials said this wasn't a domestic incident with domestic violence, but deputies are urging residents to notify law enforcement if they are victims of domestic violence as the holiday season approaches.
"Under Sheriff Chronister, mental health is a priority for us," Deputy Maurer said, saying that responding deputies will be cared for and mental health resources are available.
"This is an incredibly heartbreaking loss for this family, and our prayers are with them during this unimaginable time," Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. "Tragedies like this have a profound impact on everyone involved, including our deputies who responded to such a devastating scene right after Thanksgiving. We are committed to providing support to both the grieving family and our deputies as they process this difficult situation."
