1 deputy killed and 2 injured in ‘ambush’ shooting in Florida, sheriff says

By Paradise Afshar and Ashley R. Williams, CNN

(CNN) — A central Florida deputy was killed and two others were injured when they were “ambushed” after responding to a disturbance Friday night, Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell said.

The shooting happened at a home in Eustis about 40 miles north of Orlando around 8 p.m. Grinnell said.

“We went to a disturbance at one house – the initial call was for a disturbance – and then, while we were on that scene, somebody at that scene told the deputies they needed to go to the other house, that that’s where there was a problem happening,” Grinnell said at a news conference early Saturday.

Lake County deputies arrived at the other house to find the back door kicked in and “some commotion” taking place inside, the sheriff said.

“They were just met with a lot of gunfire,” Grinnell said. The first deputy who entered the house was injured and trapped inside while another deputy was able to get out.

Other law enforcement responded, and when they went to rescue the trapped deputy, they were again met with gunfire and another deputy was struck, the sheriff said.

Two of the responding deputies sustained gunshot injuries, and the deputy who was trapped inside the home later died from his gunshot injuries, according to Grinnell.

The slain deputy has been identified as 28-year-old Master Deputy Sheriff Bradley Michael Link, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Lt. John Herrell.

Herrell described Link as a “good deputy,” and became emotional while speaking about him during a press conference on Saturday.

“Deputy Link wasn’t even supposed to be there,” he said. “He wasn’t even part of the road patrol unit. He heard the call go out, he went there to assist.”

Link was a five-year veteran, joining the sheriff’s office in 2019. “Brad, as our Sheriff’s Office family knew him, touched the lives of all who were blessed enough to work with him; his contributions and the impact of this loss will not soon be forgotten,” the sheriff’s office said.

The two deputies were still in the hospital and recovering from surgery as of Monday evening, the sheriff’s office told CNN. They were in stable condition.

Harold Howell, 41, was shot in the arm as he entered the home alongside Link, according to a Saturday email from Herrell. Stefano Gargano, 28, was part of the officer-rescue unit dispatched to rescue Link and was shot “numerous times” as they entered the home. Gargano underwent surgery Friday night and was expected to have another surgery Saturday afternoon, Herrell said.

All three suspects in the shooting were killed, Herrell said. No official cause of death has been determined, however the sheriff’s office said their gunshot wounds appear to be self-inflicted.

Herrell noted at least seven deputies returned fire during the incident, but “there is no indication that (the suspects) were struck with any return fire from our deputies.”

Herrell said the “bunker style dwelling” where the shooting took place was stockpiled with firearms, ammunition, canned goods and non-perishable food items. There was also “a lot of literature to suggest that they were very much anti-government leaning people,” Herrell said.

An animal enforcement unit had been to the home in the past, but “as of right now, we don’t show anything of any violent crime,” the sheriff said.

Grinnell noted this was the first death of a deputy in the community since February 2005 and said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident.

CNN’s Lechelle Benken and Sarah Dewberry contributed to this report.

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