LAKE WALES, Fla. — The suspect involved in a Lake Wales shooting that left four people dead was killed after a standoff with officers Wednesday.
Lake Wales Police said Al Joseph Stenson, 38, fled to Slumberland Motel in Sanford after allegedly shooting his girlfriend Marlene Pizarro, 40, her son and her two daughters, ages 21, 17 and 11, on Tuesday night.
Detectives with the Lake Wales Police Department worked with the Sanford Police Department and Seminole County Sheriff's Office during an hours-long standoff that involved crisis negotiation and SWAT. Police said Stenson made statements that "he would kill himself or force law enforcement to kill him."
The standoff ultimately ended in an officer-involved shooting and Stenson was pronounced dead.
Lake Wales Police Chief Chris Velasquez said Stenson was known to the victims, and authorities believe he may have lived in the apartment. Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma said the 40-year-old victim was Stenson's girlfriend.
Velasquez said officers were called to the Sunrise Park apartment complex around 8:50 p.m.
When officers arrived on the scene, they found the four victims with apparent gunshot wounds.
"It's absolutely a tragedy," Velasquez said.
Lemma said during the investigation early Wednesday morning, Lake Wales Police put out a BOLO for Stenson. He said there was a report that Stenson's vehicle was found across from the Slumberland Motel, and ultimately, officers saw him walking across the street.
At that time, Lemma said the officers contacted the sheriff's office, and the SWAT team responded, which is made up of representatives from five of the seven municipalities in the county.
Lemma said Stenson's brother was in another room in the motel and was taken to a safe area after authorities convinced him to come out.
Lemma added that during hours-long negotiations, at one time, authorities were able to convince Stenson to exit the room, put down a handgun and step away from it. Stenson had one gun in his hand and another in his pocket at one time, Lemma said.
After Stenson stepped away from the handgun on the ground, Lemma said the SWAT team used a 40 mm foam baton projectile to try to neutralize him but it had "little effect." At that time, Lemma said Stenson went for the gun on the ground and that was when four officers opened fire.
Lemma said two of the officers who fired are part of the sheriff's office, another is an officer with the Altamonte Springs Police Department and the last is an officer with the Sanford Police Department.
After the shooting, Lemma said a member of the SWAT team immediately tried to render aid to Stenson but it was unsuccessful. FDLE will investigate the officer-involved shooting.
Lemma said authorities are still looking into Stenson's background and said he had previous arrests for burglary and domestic violence.
Lake Wales Police Chief Chris Velasquez said police believe the initial shooting happened early Tuesday morning, around 5 a.m., and authorities were called that night after the victims were found.
Velasquez said police have no motive for the shooting.
"Absolutely no reason why. Completely senseless. It makes absolutely no sense. No words," Velasquez said.
Velasquez said this is a "horrible, tragic situation." He added, "Our hearts are broken" for the family of the victims.
The names of the victims have not been released, with authorities citing Marsy's Law.
However, family members identified the mother of the three children as Marlene Pizarro, who worked as a special education teacher in Lake Wales. According to her Facebook profile, she was also an entrepreneur and a birth doula.
At a vigil Wednesday night, family members and friends placed candles and bouquets of flowers outside the apartment where the crime was committed. Afterward, they prayed for unity.
Meanwhile, Pizarro's brother created a GoFundMe page in hopes of raising the money necessary to transport the bodies of the victims to a family grave site in Puerto Rico. The fundraiser can be found at this link.
