Overview
- Police say Hailey Dempsey shot her mother inside the family home and then ran off with her three daughters before killing a four-year-old and a four-month-old and turning the gun on herself on May 3, 2026.
- Investigators found officers had responded to the Dempsey home three times in the two days before the deaths, including a May 1 verbal dispute after Hailey reportedly found pornography on her husband’s phone.
- A 2-year-old survived after a shot missed, is reported in good health, and is now staying with relatives.
- Hailey’s husband was detained immediately after the incident, thoroughly investigated by police, ruled out as a suspect and never charged.
- Plant City police executed search warrants during a detailed three-month investigation, and Chief Richard Mills said there were indications of mental illness even though investigators did not name a definitive motive.